Apple’s holiday ad unites a ragtag crew of woodland creatures to spotlight the best gift of all: friendship.
“A Critter Carol,” created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab and directed by Mark Molloy, celebrates friends, creativity, and craftsmanship. Continuing Apple’s long-running “Shot on iPhone” campaign, the ad was shot entirely on the iPhone 17 Pro.
The action takes place in a snowy forest, where puppet critters discover an iPhone that was accidentally left behind by a hiker. With the new gadget, the creatures seize the opportunity to make their own music video.
The animal gang, including a raccoon, bear, rat, owl, deer, and squirrel, perform a rendition of 2009’s “Friends” by New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. Their lyrics capture sometimes unusual or extreme promises of friendship in the animal kingdom, such as “eating trash together” and “avenging your death.”
At the end of the tune, the hiker returns for his phone and finds an unexpected recording on his device.
While the video showcases the new iPhone camera’s capabilities, such as Center Stage and Dual Capture, much of it was also handcrafted, including the puppets and typography. Puppets Magic Studio made the puppets.
The handmade quality is a return to the approach of Apple’s 2023 holiday ad, a stop-motion tale about an office worker who sees her grumpy boss in a new light.
This year, the “Shot on iPhone” campaign marked its 10th anniversary and won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness.
Apple’s new holiday commercial will debut on Thanksgiving (Nov. 27).