Sometimes, the best campaign idea is the obvious one executed exceptionally well. Amazon Canada brought back YouTube creator and comedian Lilly Singh for round three, this time promoting Prime Big Deal Days—and the approach was refreshingly straightforward. Put Lilly on the streets of Vancouver with actual deals and let her do what she does best.
The Framework Was Intentionally Simple
Xpedition, the California-based agency that splits its work between marketing and entertainment production, handled creative and strategy for the social push that kicked off on October 3rd. The core idea—Lilly engaging locals about limited-time Prime offers—could’ve gone sideways a dozen different ways. It worked because everyone involved understood the assignment.
Running through the Prime Big Deal Days window (October 7-10), the campaign tapped into what resonates with Canadian audiences. One execution spotlighted Amazon’s Prime Monday Night Hockey livestream, with Lilly showcasing hockey-adjacent deals. Nobody’s reinventing advertising here, but there’s something to be said for knowing your market and giving them what matters.
Street Production Is Deceptively Hard
“Lilly was incredibly dynamic and collaborative on this project,” said Hunter, Xpedition’s CEO and founder. “Each concept was designed by Xpedition with her voice, talent and comedic sense in mind. On-the-street shoots are extremely challenging, but Lilly is a brilliant improviser—together, we created something that promoted Prime Big Deal Days in an engaging way that felt true to her.”
Creator partnerships collapse when agencies try to force talent into corporate messaging or strip away whatever made them appealing initially. This work avoided that trap.
Third Campaign Means Something’s Working
Lilly’s Amazon Canada relationship launched in 2023. Three campaigns suggest both parties figured out a sustainable formula. “Canadians really connect with Lilly,” said Mike Cornwell, head of the Amazon Affiliate Program. “Her wide reach as a creator, paired with her strong and vocal national identity, make her a perfect fit, and we’re so excited to deepen our partnership.”
The blueprint isn’t rocket science—identify someone your target audience already trusts, build creative around their natural style rather than against it, and maintain enough flexibility for authenticity. Xpedition developed concepts that leaned into Lilly’s improvisational strengths instead of locking everything into rigid scripts.
Why This Works
Successful creator collaborations share common DNA. The talent needs genuine relevance to the audience you’re trying to reach. The creative needs to amplify their voice, not water it down. And somebody needs the confidence to let real moments happen—particularly on location shoots where control is mostly an illusion.
Amazon Canada and Xpedition nailed the fundamentals. They chose someone Canadians authentically respond to, they structured concepts that played to her comedic timing, and they trusted her instincts when the cameras rolled.
This won’t be the campaign everybody’s talking about at year-end roundups. It probably won’t sweep the awards circuit. But it accomplished exactly what it set out to do—bridge a retail moment with an audience through someone they already follow, without the whole thing feeling like a hard sell.
Which is often what good work looks like when you strip away the noise.
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