Behind the Scenes: Apple’s Festive Puppet-filled Holiday Ad

During this holiday season, while some companies like Coca-Cola are turning to generative AI for their advertising, Apple is sticking to practical effects in their latest festive short film, A Critter Carol, featuring a group of tech-savvy woodland creatures.

The ad showcases a hiker who accidentally drops their iPhone 17 Pro in the forest, only for it to be discovered by a curious raccoon. The raccoon then uses the phone to film a spontaneous performance of the song “Friends” by Flight of the Conchords, joined by a bear, wolf, owl, deer, squirrel, and rabbit. The hiker eventually retrieves the phone with the help of their Apple Watch.

Just like the unique Apple TV intro that was created using a glass model of the logo and colored lights, Apple has shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the practical effects utilized in A Critter Carol. The production involved the use of blue screens and blue bodysuits to extend the forest set digitally and remove human performers in post-production. The woodland creatures were all meticulously hand-crafted puppets, brought to life by a team of skilled puppeteers controlling their movements. Interestingly, the entire film was shot using an iPhone 17 Pro.