To inspire holiday shoppers to find gifts they’ll love for everyone on their list, Amazon is reprising its hilarious Cannes-winning “5-Star Theater” campaign, with real serious actor Benedict Cumberbatch performing real Amazon customer reviews as theatrical monologues.
Last year’s campaign, which starred Adam Driver, received tons of fan comments—including one specifically requesting Cumberbatch for future reviews which, in true customer-centric fashion, we jumped on making happen. The idea resonated with Cumberbatch himself—so after a 10-year hiatus from theater, the actor returned to Amazon’s stage to turn a new collection of 5-star customer reviews into a one-man-show. Cumberbatch performed over 15 reviews, including popular holiday gifts like the Bissell portable carpet cleaner, Toto bidet, and SharkNinja blender—showing that Amazon truly does have something for everyone on your list.
This year, we’re going even bigger through media partnerships with podcasts including Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, and A Very Merry Iconic Podcast by Danny Pellegrino, as well as a late-night integration with Jimmy Fallon and high-impact placements on TikTok and Snap.
“We are really excited to share this year’s 5-Star Theater, with Benedict Cumberbatch bringing his own spin to the performance different than Adam’s last year,” said Jo Shoesmith, vice president and global chief creative officer, “we think our customers will be surprised and delighted by his take on the concept.”
