AWS Showcases Customer Innovation in First Brand Campaign with Hijinks

Amazon Web Services (AWS) just launched a new campaign that wants to make one thing clear:

The world’s most innovative companies aren’t just using the cloud, but building their future with it.

Created with London-based agency Hijinks, "AWS is How" marks AWS' first major brand campaign since 2023.

The goal of the global push is to spotlight how giants like BMW, Epic Games, and Formula 1 are transforming their industries using AWS technologies.

The campaign officially kicked off in the U.S. last June 17. It will expand to the U.K. and nine more markets through Q1 2026.

"'AWS is How' positions AWS as the answer to how so many amazing businesses are innovating," Tamryn Kerr and Marc Allenby, co-founders and CCOs at Hijinks said in a press release.

“The campaign is the culmination of an incredible transatlantic co-creation working with the AWS team.”

Designed for TV, social, and out-of-home channels, the work also doubles down on real-world storytelling by shining the spotlight on actual AWS customers and their use cases.

Climbing the Cloud

Directed by Sam Brown and produced by Rogue Films, the flagship TV spot serves as a fast-moving visual metaphor, showing viewers the journey up a building where each floor showcases a different AWS customer.

The first room features BMW’s autonomous parking technology, made possible with AWS.

The spot transitions seamlessly from one room to another, all thanks to a motion control camera system that creates precise movements, allowing each story to flow into the next.

When we get to the second room, we see how AWS helps Epic Games’ have a massive multiplayer infrastructure, allowing players to battle "100 million frenemies."

Finally, the last room shows how the platform brings F1 fans closer to the data by allowing them to view battle forecasts, ending with a brightly lit AWS billboard to wrap up the showcase.

To support the modular concept, the crew constructed eight sets on location in Prague, each designed to be swapped out depending on the audience or region.

DOP Franz Lustig handled lighting duties to ensure visual cohesion across scenes.

“Working with the formidable Sam Brown and the Rogue team to bring this to life was a dream come true,” added Allenby.

Overall, AWS is aiming beyond just enterprise sales and shoots for global brand awareness with the campaign’s multi-market rollout and TV presence.

Our Take: Can Cloud Ads Be Emotional?

Most cloud campaigns lean into the technical.

However "AWS is how" opts to be more stylistic, highlighting the innovation the platform brings to recognizable brands as well as the experiences of its consumers.

As someone who often tunes out tech ads, I found Amazon's visual metaphor especially effective.

It's a stark lesson for similar platforms that when the message is about personalization, the media strategy should reflect that too.

Recently, Amazon tapped on NBA star LeBron James to spearhead the main campaign for the upcoming Prime Day.

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