Crafting Worlds for Artisans in Amazon Karigar’s New Campaign

A creative use of miniatures, intricate production design, and a stirring poetic narrative are the materials used to celebrate the work of artisans in India for Amazon's handicraft retail section.

RocketscienceLab's duo directors Vidya Sharma and Rajesh Thomas get together with the film production company Lucifer Circus in tandem with Ogilvy to produce a promotional film for Amazon Indian handicrafts e-commerce wing, called "Amazon Karigar, Handcrafted with love."

Leaning into the title, the piece lets the viewer embark on a journey through carefully crafted miniature worlds that connect with "karigars" or artisans. You are guided through most of the 90-second film with an ode to the skilled workers written and performed by Gulzaar Saab, whose lyrical style and voice texture complements the visuals extremely well.

Each of the five miniatures, developed by production designer Sabu Cyril, connect to a different broad handicraft category - brass handicraft, blue pottery, handlooms, bead jewellery, and woodcraft. The set integrates these directly into the world design, like a blue pottery fountain or a  patterned cloth waterfall, allowing for whimsical and abstract vistas straight out of surreal fantasy.

The use of this particular style of mixed media lends itself to the handmade traditional nature of the products themselves. One cannot help but think of folk tales and mythology when going through this nostalgic experience.

The platform has engaged over 10 lakh skilled craft workers and showcases over 92,000 products from all over the country. This process has allowed traditional indigenous arts and crafts to feature on new-age digital markets.

Ogilvy summarizes the experience perfectly by calling this advertisement "a heartfelt tribute to the hands that create a world full of beauty and wonder" and that the film "does ample justice to the magnificent heritage of art and craft in various parts of India."