Apple presented a holiday commercial “A Critter Carol”, which became popular due to its unique approach to content creation without involving artificial intelligence.
The Christmas film “A Critter Carol” went viral because of its uniqueness and focus on handmade work instead of computer graphics. Shot entirely on the iPhone 17 Pro, the ad uses puppetry and emphasized character imperfections to create an atmosphere of inspired simplicity. Creature designer Andy Kelly noted that the goal was for all the animals in the film to look as if they had “already gone through life.”
The film differs from traditional “Shot on iPhone” campaigns by focusing on emotional storytelling. Cinematographer Joost van Gelder noted the possibilities of the iPhone 17 Pro’s “naturalistic zoom,” whereas the film director emphasized the immersive quality achieved thanks to the smartphone technology.
The appearance of “A Critter Carol” came against the backdrop of criticism caused by other Christmas content, particularly the fully AI-generated Coca-Cola ad. Compared to it, the Apple film received positive reviews for its creative approach and departure from the dominance of AI in the media ecosystem.
This advertisement is also perceived as a response to the controversial Apple campaign of 2024, when the company released the clip “Crush,” which negatively highlighted the technological impact on creative industries.
| Name | A Critter Carol |
| Format | Christmas film |
| Technologies | iPhone 17 Pro, Puppetry |
| Key people | Andy Kelly, Joost van Gelder |
| Main idea | Handmade work, imperfection |
