Amazon’s done it again. In 2023 they had a heartwarming commercial featuring adventurous grandmothers. This year they went with one of my secret dreams… to be a good singer. The short story is this: A theater janitor has a past where he performed as a singer. But that was a lifetime ago. We catch up with him now cleaning a beautiful theater, still softly singing as he does his duties. A few coworkers hear his unexpected talent and decide to put the spotlight on him as a surprise… with the help of Amazon, of course. Take a look then scroll down for more about the ad and those who appear in it.
The Singing Janitor. The actor’s name is Dimiter Marinov (Instagram @dimiter_d_marinov). Check out his website where the first line of his bio is already impressive… Dimiter Marinov is a Bulgarian-American actor, acting coach and a classical violinist. He resides in the US since 1990. So Amazon shows a great singer getting his next moment AND the actor is a talented violinist? They’re just kicking dirt in my face, aren’t they? How did they know I was almost a world-renowned classical violinist but in 4th grade, I decided to play the trumpet instead? Toot toot.
But seriously, congrats to Mr. Marinov for the starring role and kudos on an impressive job acting where the only words spoken were through body language and song. That can’t be easy. His credits on IMDb are too long to list so obviously he’s got a good thing going.
The Cast. Dimiter’s not the only one to make this ad a success, though. Appearing in an Amazon commercial is an admirable achievement because of the quality of the ads, the viewer engagement, and to just say it simply, the ads are almost always great cinema and storytelling. This one included a handful of talented actors playing key roles, one of which was performed by actor Jamal Akakpo (@JamalAkakpo). He played the part of theater staffer overlooking the janitor in the stairwell and then the climactic moment which began when he and his coworker lifted the tuxedo coat out of the Amazon box.
Jamal had this to say about his experience:
…it was a great set to be a part of. Amazon was great, they had a phenomenal creative idea and we were just lucky to help them bring it to life. I thought the message was amazing. It’s what we need right now in the world.
Amen, brother!
Haven’t we all had that sweet coworker who just seems to know what to do at the right time? In this case it’s a clever woman who ordered the tuxedo jacket and put together the private performance for theater staff. That employee (pictured above, on the right) was played by actress Terry Dexter (@TerryDexter). She describes herself as a singer/songwriter, actor/story teller, and an animal loving cat rescuer. Check her out on Spotify below. Apparently she had a great time on set working with cast and crew, this from her Instagram: I’m super honored to be a part. My heart is overflowing with love and gratitude.
She goes on to thank the folks she worked with so click here for a list of the other talented people who helped make this commercial so memorable. And give them all a follow on Instagram while you’re at it!
But Wait, There’s More! It all starts with a song and this one is from the mid-1960s. “What The World Needs Now Is Love” was originally performed by Jackie DeShannon with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach.
The ad was directed by Wayne McClammy (who’s also the genius behind this GEICO horror/comedy commercial). Companies put a lot of effort into holiday commercials, Christmas especially, and I think this commercial is airing at the right time in world, and American, history.
Can’t we all use a little more love, kindness, and free returns?
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 