Greetings, traveler!
Apple’s latest holiday campaign takes an unexpected direction at a time when AI-driven production dominates almost every corner of the industry. Instead of experimenting with machine-generated visuals or automated animation systems, the team returned to a fully handcrafted approach — and the result stands out precisely because of that restraint.
A Handmade Production in a Machine-Generated World
The commercial features a cast of small animal characters brought to life through classic stop-motion techniques. Each puppet was sculpted, painted, rigged on wires, and animated through incremental micro-movements. Every gesture required a dedicated team responsible for adjusting the figures frame by frame, much like traditional animation workshops operated decades ago.
The narrative is intentionally simple: the main character uses the Find My app to search for a misplaced iPhone, while the other creatures join in a cheerful musical sequence. The entire spot was filmed on an iPhone 17 Pro, continuing Apple’s long-standing habit of showcasing what its own hardware can produce under real production constraints.
Behind the Scenes: Craft Over Automation
What makes this campaign remarkable isn’t only the aesthetic decision but the scale of the effort behind it. Each puppet had a separate crew managing modeling, wiring, stability, and expressive detail. Every scene required precise manual coordination.
This choice is particularly notable considering the current dominance of AI in content creation. Instead of following the trend, Apple leaned into traditional craft.
Why This Approach Matters
Apple’s holiday ad serves as a reminder that some stories benefit from imperfections. I believe this is an important signal for all of us: something crafted by people — even if not flawless — still carries more value than what is generated by AI. At least for now.
For comparison, here is an advertisement that Coca-Cola released — it was made exclusively with AI:
Watch the Ad and the Behind-the-Scenes Video
The behind-the-scenes breakdown of how it was made.