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Amazon Slows the Tempo in Droga5's 'Prom' Spot for Alexa

Bringing echoes of the past back to life

by David Gianatasio

January 25, 2022

12:30 pm

2 min read

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Amazon forgoes the loud, epic tone of its recent Alexa promos, opting for a quieter, more contemplative mood in new work from Droga5 London and veteran director Lance Acord.

A :60 set to the Flamingos’ 1958 version of “I Only Have Eyes for You” shows a couple falling in love at their high school prom in the Eisenhower era. Cut to modern times, seven decades hence, and they’re still dancing to the same song, played on a tablet by Alexa.

That may sound like a sweet, simple notion—and indeed, it is—but there’s more going on here than first meets the eye.

Video Reference

Jan 25 2022 – 6:54am

Tim Nudd

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Poster Reference

Amazon Alexa | Prom

Watch closely, and you’ll notice the woman looks briefly lost before her partner asks Alexa to play the tune again. Does she have Alzheimer’s or another neurological condition? “Prom” lets viewers decide, but Droga5 says the inference is intentional.

Some might not pick up on the subtext. But it’s there amid the spot’s muted hues and smooth, romantic melody, a testament to the power of music and technology to unlock doors that might otherwise shut forever.

Such subtlety feels worlds away from recent over-the-top Alexa outings that dealt with the volcanic destruction of Pompeii, elfin fantasy battles and full-throated oddness at the opera.

Those cinematic ads worked fine as well, but “Prom” puts a fresh, touching spin on Alexa’s capabilities. It reminds us of the voice assistant’s potential to touch lives in ways that can seem almost magical.

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