Apple’s holiday film stars a bunch of whimsical puppet critters and an iPhone 17 Pro

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Apple is back with its annual holiday film, and this year’s spot might just be its most delightfully unhinged one yet. Titled “A Critter Carol,” the 2-minute-20-second film follows a crew of handmade woodland puppets who stumble upon an iPhone 17 Pro in the middle of a snowy forest, and immediately turn it into their own music video set.

The story begins with two hikers trekking through the woods before accidentally dropping their iPhone. Enter a curious raccoon who flips open the camera, hums a cheeky “bum bum bum,” and kicks off an a cappella number featuring a badger, rabbit, squirrel, rat, owl, and eventually a very sleepy bear. What follows is a chaotic, charming musical sequence set to “Friends” by Flight of the Conchords, complete with lyrics about eating trash together, moving house together, and making sure your friend doesn’t walk around with food on their face.

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Of course, in true woodland-drama fashion, things take a darkly funny turn when a wolf casually eats the rat mid-song. The critters freeze, the squirrel filming covers its own eyes with its tail, and the raccoon deadpans: “Hey, that’s not the vibe.” Moments later, a deer joins in with a lyric about avenging a friend’s death—prompting another perfectly timed “Okay, that’s a bit dark.”

The critter choir then parades through the snow in a joyous montage before the hikers return, triggered by the iPhone’s Find My alert. The furry filmmakers panic and scatter, but not before leaving the phone behind with a heart shape made of twigs. When the humans discover the critters’ music video, they’re understandably bewildered. Off-screen, the badger cheerfully asks, “Hope they like it!” before the film ends on Apple’s holiday message: “Friendship is a gift.”

Behind the scenes, the magic is just as charming. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Mark Molloy, the production used fully handmade puppets operated by teams of puppeteers in blue suits, the raccoon alone required four people to move. Molloy shared that he wanted to return to tactile puppetry, embracing its imperfect, handcrafted feel while spotlighting human creativity.

The entire film was shot on the iPhone 17 Pro, using features such as Center Stage, Dual Capture, and up to 8x zoom. The camera’s flexibility allowed the crew to shoot from inside tiny puppet worlds and capture movement in an intimate, storybook-like way.

From handcrafted critters to woodblock typography, Apple’s holiday campaign is a celebration of craft, creativity, and the kind of weird, whimsical storytelling that makes the season feel just a little more magical. It was created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, with production by Smuggler and Unit Sofa in Prague. Joost Van Gelder served as director of photography, while the puppets themselves were a major artistic feat crafted by Puppets Magic Studio and Zdar Sorm.

In 2023, Apple and TBWA\Media Arts Lab released “Fuzzy Feelings,” a whimsical stop-motion holiday film shot entirely on iPhone. The story follows a puppet man who experiences a series of comic misfortunes, from snowballs to short circuits, mirroring the frustrations of his creator’s real-life office experiences. As the narrative unfolds, the puppeteer decides to rewrite the puppet’s story, giving him a joyful ending and introducing themes of empathy and reflection. The film playfully blends the handmade charm of puppetry with the everyday human moments that inspire creativity, showing how small acts can spark change and connection.

The following year, Apple turned to a more intimate and emotional story with its “Heartstrings” holiday campaign. Highlighting the AirPods Pro 2’s new hearing aid feature, the film captures a father reconnecting with his daughter’s music. Through flashbacks of her childhood and scenes under the Christmas tree, the father hears his daughter play guitar and sing for the first time in years, moved to tears by the moment. Both films showcase Apple’s ongoing focus on storytelling, blending technology and human emotion to create memorable, heartfelt narratives for the holiday season.

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