Foreda Begum
If you’re a Brit like me, you will know that at this time of the year we eagerly await the release of festive ads from our favourite brands and every spoof that follows too.
But once in a while, there is always one that comes out of the woodwork and takes everyone by surprise, and this year it was from Amazon Prime.
In the run-up to Black Friday, Amazon’s reminder about inter-faith friendship is a remedy we so desperately needed to see after the constant barrage of hate we have become accustomed to, particularly in the last couple of weeks.
The ad warmly depicts a friendship of a vicar and an imam who have a quick catch up over a cup of tea. They both share a moment when they realize that they aren’t as spry as they were in their youth; needing each other’s support to stand up.
Both the imam and the vicar then have an inspired idea to buy the same surprise gift for each other and pull their nifty Amazon Prime app out to make the purchase (obviously within the 30 day free trial. I kid). The ad then goes on to show beautiful scenes of each religious leader in their own places of worship, getting down on their knees to pray, aided by their new knee supports.
The ad has been rolled out in the UK, US, Germany but resonated with people far beyond that. After the events of Brexit and the US elections, with both events preceding an upsurge of hate crimes, the feeling of hopelessness has been tough to shake.
But in this ad, the simple message of friendship hit home for people from all walks of life and faiths. It reminded us that selflessness and thinking of others transcends all differences.
Amazon Prime has been showered with praise on social media by people thanking them for the glimmer of happiness in this time of disarray:
The new Amazon Prime advert is so lovely, promoting and showing tolerance between an imam and vicar. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hrC7DNntpd
— george (@_gapc) November 16, 2016
A positive example of a priest and an imam in a new @amazon commercial. https://t.co/nSDGFMZQJL pic.twitter.com/7zlFHrKqgc
— Fr Matthew Schneider (@FrMatthewLC) November 18, 2016
This Amazon commercial is beautiful.
Despite what you see dominating the news, it reflects reality more than you've been led to believe. pic.twitter.com/RA6b3wo5Fx
— Mohamed Ghilan (@MohamedGhilan) November 18, 2016
So thank you Amazon! Though most of us will still sign up to the 30 day trial for Prime with different email addresses, this ad will forever be remembered for its effort to reignite love and tolerance for all.
