After years in Japan, Amazon Business has launched its first mass-advertising campaign, and Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo has made sure it gets noticed with an epic cat construction story and some sharp humour.
In a market where traditional purchasing practices like paper orders, fax machines, and complex supplier relationships remain the norm, Amazon Business is aiming to modernise the landscape and position procurement as a strategic driver of business growth. Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo delivers this message with a bold, cinematic twist. Set in the Edo-era, the film depicts a chaotic castle construction site, where confusion and inefficiency threaten progress. At the peak of frustration, the shogun overseeing the project, turns to Amazon Business from his phone, with help from his loyal cat.
“We took a shogun in the Edo period, mid-chaos, and gave him the one thing he never had: modern procurement in his pocket,” stated Max Pilwat, creative director at W+K Tokyo.
“The castle build became our metaphor – a massive, messy project where everyone’s running in circles until the right system drops in,” added Andrew Miller, creative director at W+K Tokyo.
What inspired the creative concept for the commercial?
Max Pilwat & Andrew Miller: We wanted to find a subject that could showcase Amazon Business and the power of its solutions in a cinematic way. The idea of an elaborate castle construction, paired with the well-known, Japanese saying, “I’d even take help from a cat,” (an expression used when someone is so overwhelmed they’d accept help from anyone) came together to inspire our storytelling.
Q. Why set it in the Edo period?
Max Pilwat & Andrew Miller: We were inspired by the rich tone and deep history of Edo-era films and dramas. We knew that if we really crafted the details, it would provide a highly memorable and engaging setting for our story. The out of time introduction of Amazon Business, a phone and modern tools, gave an unexpected flourish to the story and lent itself well to memorable comedic characters.
Q. Key themes and challenges explored in the campaign?
Max Pilwat & Andrew Miller: The campaign centers around the effortless solutions enabled by Amazon Business. By showing the early chaos of the castle construction site, we were able to set up the support and order offered by Amazon Business. We liked the idea of treating the castle construction as a business, with a chain of command, to portray the drama and challenge many businesses face. We want people and businesses to walk away from the campaign realizing how Amazon Business might help them collaborate more deeply and overcome challenges to scale their own business.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo
Creative Directors: Max Pilwat (マックス・ピルワット) , Andrew Miller (アンドリュー・ミラー)
Copywriter: Marina Danjo (檀上真里奈)
Art Director: Kazuhi Yoshikawa (吉川一陽)
Chief Creative Officer: Erwin Federizo (アーウィン・フェデリゾ)
Designer: Akane Yasuda (安田茜)
Head of Brand Management: Jordan Cappadocia (ジョーダン・カパドーシャ)
Brand Director: Caroline Melody Meyer (キャロライン・メロディ・メイヤー)
Brand Executive: Kowen Liu (コーウェン・ リーウ)
Producer: Elisha, Yuling Lai (エリーシャ, ユリン ライ)
Production Assistant: Emi Yamashita Grey (山下瑛美)
Head of Cultural Adaptation: Mako Tomita (富田万木子）
Strategy Director: Andrea Chen (アンドレア・チェン）
Comms Strategist: Patrick Fahey (パトリック・ファーヘイ)
PR Director: Kazuki Kyogoku (京極一樹)
Head of Production: Michelle Brough (ミシェル・ブロウ)
President: Eleanor Thodey (エレノア・ショーディ)
Client: Amazon Business
WW Senior Brand Marketing Manager: Marielisa Carbonell
WW Creative Director: Raven Smith
