While Coca-Cola decided to run with generative AI for its animated Christmas ad—a holiday tradition the brand is known for—Apple leaned into the world of practical effects with a troupe of woodland puppets. Titled “A Critter Carol” and featuring the latest iPhone model, the short film takes its cues from compassion, creativity, and community.
The quirky, happy-go-lucky song is inspired by Flight of the Conchords’ tune “Friends” and features a ragtag group of woodland critters who happen to run across an iPhone someone dropped during a hike.
“For me, it was the story of how one act of kindness can bring…lots of different people together, and I think that’s a nice message,” says director Mark Molloy in the making-of video, which you can also see below.
Molloy was particularly interested in the timeless craft of puppetry and an emphasis on the handmade, not only in the making of the characters and miniature forest set but in the hands-on process of filming and operating the puppets, which involved several puppeteers working simultaneously.
“There’s a reality to how we built these creatures, but also how we brought them to life, that is imperfect,” Molloy says. These so-called imperfections, however, comprise the inventive magic that makes the goofy, anthropomorphized cast of characters so relatable.
