A quick glance at any news ticker or social media feed might lead one to conclude that ours is a world split by class, race, nationality and political persuasion.
Amazon, however, suggests that the members of our human race may not be as far apart as we think we are. The retailer's new holiday ad for Amazon Prime stars two men of different faiths: a Catholic priest and a Muslim imam.
These two wouldn't seem to have much in common, but they're united by a friendship and an all-too-common discomfort.
As indicated by CEO Jeff Bezos in a tweet Thursday, this ad was created by Amazon's in-house team.
Love this TV commercial for Amazon Prime. Very proud of our ad team. https://t.co/E8ceXs4nte
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 17, 2016
Amazon's European director of advertising Simon Morris told The Guardian this week that the ad is about "selflessness." Amazon consulted with various religious organizations in Great Britain before deciding to produce the spot, which was made over the summer directly after the contentious "Brexit" vote and made its broadcast debut in the U.K. this week.
One may be forgiven for viewing this effort with a somewhat skeptical eye given that it is promoting a shopping service. But there's something to be said for celebrating the things disparate people have in common, especially with the holiday season upon us.
The ad will air in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany.