A Theater Janitor Shines in Amazon's 'Midnight Opus'

Hungry Man's Wayne McClammy directed the spot

Amazon’s holiday ad, “Midnight Opus,” shines a spotlight on a theater janitor with a not-so-hidden talents.

At the close of each night, co-workers stop in their tracks when they encounter the janitor with the good pipes. He’s heard throughout the theater singing the 1965 David Bacharach pop classic “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” 

To reciprocate the joy, one coworker orders the janitor a black tuxedo jacket on Amazon. Days later, the closed theater becomes his stage. Every department joins together—music, lighting, sound—as our hero delivers a performance his coworkers won’t soon forget.

The ad was created in-house and directed by Wayne McClammy of Hungry Man. It’s running now in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, with a North American debut on Nov. 18.

“Midnight Opus is a story that celebrates the joy from doing something special for the people in your life,” says Jo Shoesmith, global CCO at Amazon. “I think we all know how wonderful it feels to be the recipient of even the smallest act of kindness—whether that be a thoughtful gift or an encouraging word—and we wanted to bring that ineffable emotion to life.”