Benedict Cumberbatch Films Two Bizarre Holiday Ads: for 'World of Tanks' and Amazon (pcgamer.com)
- Reference: 0180240683
- News link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/25/11/30/0257233/benedict-cumberbatch-films-two-bizarre-holiday-ads-for-world-of-tanks-and-amazon
- Source link: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/benedict-cumberbatch-is-world-of-tanks-new-holiday-ambassador-starring-in-a-bizarre-and-expensive-christmas-advert-that-has-very-little-to-do-with-either-tanks-or-christmas/
> This year, all those huge sacks with dollar signs on them have been thrown Benedict Cumberbatch's way, making him the game's newest "Holiday Ambassador" and the star of an [2]absolutely bizarre Christmas advert . The story has very little to do with Christmas and, frankly, not much connection to tanks either, featuring Cumberbatch as a sort of chaotic, supernatural therapist trying to bring a meek nerd out of his shell with the help of a chaotic crowd of his other patients. It's a good watch, shedding the usual hard man action star vibe of past celebrity trailers in favour of something that feels more like a mischievous one act play.
Cumberbatch also portrayed Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit films (2012-2014), Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Dr. Strange in six Marvel movies. And now Amazon has also hired Cumberbatch for [3]what its calls its "Cannes-winning '5-Star Theater' campaign... performing real Amazon customer reviews as theatrical monologues."
> Cumberbatch performed over 15 reviews, including popular holiday gifts like the Bissell portable carpet cleaner, [4]Toto bidet , and SharkNinja blender — showing that Amazon truly does have something for everyone on your list.
Last year Amazon produced a similar campaign [5]starring Adam Driver ("Kylo Ren" from the final trilogy of Star Wars sequels). "The humor comes from the juxtaposition between Cumberbatch's gravitas and the text itself," [6]reports Adweek , adding that the reviews were curated "using internal AI tools, to find the most oddly specific reviews on the platform."
Amazon will stream Cumberbatch's bizarre ads on major platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Lyft, Uber, Disney/Hulu, Paramount, and Roku, and on several NFL football games.
I remember when Amazon just [7]chose the best funny fake reviews from customers , and then posted them on the front page of Amazon...
[1] https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/benedict-cumberbatch-is-world-of-tanks-new-holiday-ambassador-starring-in-a-bizarre-and-expensive-christmas-advert-that-has-very-little-to-do-with-either-tanks-or-christmas/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY7ZVZrrbQE
[3] https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/amazon-holiday-ad-2025-benedict-cumberbatch
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC9Z-9xw8GE&pp=0gcJCRUKAYcqIYzv
[5] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TqWAoPz1z2U
[6] https://www.adweek.com/creativity/amazon-casts-benedict-cumberbatch-to-turn-absurd-reviews-into-theater/
[7] https://idle.slashdot.org/story/13/08/15/2212210/amazon-selects-their-favorite-fake-customer-reviews
Funny fake reviews (Score:5, Funny)
There were some really good ones, for example:
The DIY bariatric bypass kit
Yellowcake uranium where one person complained it was only half as much as advertised
Too bad amazon killed them...
Every time I see him (Score:2)
I think what an awesome family name he has.
WoT is fun, but there is a trap in there (Score:3)
Tanks have 10 levels. Playing for free is fine and fun until level 5 or so. Above that, you basically have to pay to win. You stop doing damage with the free ammunition. I stopped playing, but many people seem to be unable to and that is where all their money comes from.
So, someone got a job and hopefully got paid? (Score:3, Informative)
And this is "stuff that matters"?
AI slop among the AI headlines...
For anyone from the UK who likes this stuff... (Score:3)
...consider listening to [1]One Person Found This Helpful" [bbc.co.uk], a BBC radio comedy show about absurd reviews for often even more absurd products. Surprisingly good show.
For anyone not from the UK...not sure if you can access it, but even if you can you're going to need to make your way through a full-on Birmingham accent. Godspeed, you brave intrepid souls.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001wjgz
âItâ(TM)s a good watchâ(TM) (Score:1)
I highly doubt that. Is this post just an advert for world of tanks?
Re: (Score:2)
It's an advert for an advert. Adverts all the way down. Advertception.
Re: (Score:3)
> I highly doubt that. Is this post just an advert for world of tanks?
This story is an advert for an entertaining 6-minute thing with Benedict Cumberbatch in it. Going in, I was dimly aware that World of Tanks is (probably) a video game. Coming out, I have experienced 6 minutes of amusement and am... dimly aware that World of Tanks is (probably) a video game.
I have no urge or compulsion to learn anything about World of Tanks or - assuming it is a video game - play it.
The video with Benedict Cumberbatch is the perfect advertisement: an interesting but failed one. It is
Re:It is a good watch (Score:1)
Nice try, corporate. But I will not watch it. Cheers.