Apple has injected fans with a ‘heartwarming’ dose of authentic festive cheer with its new Christmas advert. 

And it’s managed to do so without relying on artificial intelligence (AI).  

Entitled ‘A Critter Carol’, the two–minute clip features two hikers walking through a wonderful wintery woodland before one unknowingly drops his iPhone.

As they walk away, some Muppet–like critters find the phone and film themselves performing the Flight of the Conchords song ‘Friends’ before returning it to him. 

Apple shot the film on an iPhone 17 Pro and had the animal models handcrafted – a far cry from Coca–Cola’s advert released earlier this month made entirely with AI. 

On X, fans have called it ‘heartwarming’, ‘adorable’, ‘pure holiday magic’ and an ‘absolutely brilliant video’.

While one commented they ‘love that this is hand made and not AI‘.

Another person said: ‘And that’s how you make a lovely Holiday Spot without AI slop. @CocaCola can learn one or two things here. Happy holidays.’ 

Entitled ‘A Critter Carol’, the two–minute clip features real models of woodland animals, including a racoon, a bear, an owl and a squirrel 

Some Muppets–like critters find the iPhone and film themselves performing the Flight of the Conchords song ‘Friends’ before returning it to him

One person said: ‘And that’s how you make a lovely Holiday Spot without AI slop. @CocaCola can learn one or two things here. Happy holidays’

CEO Tim Cook posted the ad on X with the caption: ‘Holiday cheer, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of heart, captured on iPhone 17 Pro by a few handmade puppet friends!’ 

In response, someone said: ‘Makes me realize how soulless most CGI is.’ 

Another posted: ‘Just watched it honestly got a little dusty–eyed by the end. The puppets, the song, all shot on iPhone… it’s pure holiday magic. Well played, Apple.’ 

Apple shared an additional three–minute video giving a behind–the–scenes look into the making of the advert, which was directed by Australian filmmaker Mark Molloy.

It reveals an enormous set recreating the entire forest built three feet off the ground and life–sized models of the various animals, including a racoon, bear, squirrel and rabbit. 

During filming, many of the larger animals were operated by men in blue bodysuits who were later digitally edited out.

The smaller models, meanwhile, were glove puppets worn by staff who were perched out of sight just below the set. 

According to Molloy, he ‘wanted to embrace the tactile nature of puppetry’ and ‘was really keen to go back to craftsmanship’. 

During filming, many of the larger animals were operated by men in blue bodysuits who were later digitally edited out, while others were glove puppets 

On X (Twitter), fans have called the ad ‘heartwarming’, ‘pure holiday magic’ and an ‘absolutely brilliant video’

This user said: ‘Just watched it honestly got a little dusty–eyed by the end. The puppets, the song, all shot on iPhone… it’s pure holiday magic. Well played, Apple’ 

Another said ‘it feels like Apple quietly tipping its hat to the humans behind the screen’ 

‘There’s a reality to how we built these creatures but also how we brought them to life that is imperfect,’ Molloy said. 

‘These animals take control, they take the iPhone 17 Pro and they go and tell a story with it.’

It’s unclear how much the whole production cost; the trillion–dollar–company has been approached for comment. 

But it was almost certainly more expensive than this year’s Christmas commercial from Coca–Cola. 

For many people around the world, Coca–Cola’s much–loved ‘Holidays are Coming’ advert marks the beginning of Christmas.

First aired in 1995, the ad shows the soft drink giant’s red delivery trucks emblazoned with lights making festive deliveries through a snowy landscape. 

Ever since, variations of the promo have arrived in the weeks leading up to Christmas – but for the second year running Coca–Cola has used AI to make the whole thing. 

Generally, the use of AI in advertising and the arts has proved a controversial move, as some critics feel it forces creative types out of work. 

Holid–AIs are coming: Coca–Cola has used artificial intelligence to reinvent its iconic Christmas advert in 2024 (pictured) and again this year

When its first AI Christmas ad was revealed last year, commentators called it ‘garbage’, ‘ugly’ and ‘too niche’, while calling the multi–billion–dollar corporation ‘lazy’.

One X user posted: ‘just saw an ai generated coca cola commercial on tv… genuinely how are we letting this happen. 

‘I feel like im watching the death of art and our planet unfold in front of my eyes and no one irl [in real life] seems to care.’ 

Meanwhile, this year’s follow–up was called ‘terrible’, ‘soulless’ and ‘the best ad I’ve ever seen for Pepsi’. 

Not all of Apple’s adverts have hit the mark though; in 2024 the company had to apologize for a ‘tasteless’ clip plugging its new iPad. 

The one–minute video had a collection of artistic objects – including paints, books and musical instruments – being crushed by an industrial press. 

One critic said: ‘Ah, Apple providing the perfect metaphor for what’s happening to the creative arts & humanities, and then mistakenly thinking it’s a good look for an advert.’

THE TRILLION DOLLAR RISE OF APPLE

1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1 1976 as they set about selling computer kits to hobbyists, each of which was built by Wozniak.

The first product was the Apple I. 

1977: Apple released the Apple II in June, which was the first PC made for the mass market. 

Steve Jobs unveils Apple Computer Corporation’s new Macintosh February 6, 1984 in California.

1981: Jobs became chairman.  

1984: The Macintosh was introduced during an ad break for the Super Bowl and later officially unveiled during a launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the firm.

1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first colour Mac.

1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal that involves Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took the role in 2000.  

The then Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Steve Jobs, with the iPhone

2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X and the first-generation iPod.

The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001, at an event in Cupertino and was able to hold up to 1,000 songs.

2007: Apple unveils the iPhone. 

2010: The first iPad was unveiled.

2011: Jobs resigned in 2011 due to illness, handing the CEO title to Tim Cook. Jobs died in October from pancreatic cancer.

2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones – the 6 and 6 Plus. 

2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services. 

2016: Apple returned to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the firm is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, involving the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device.  

2017: Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones with just the owner’s face.    

Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

2018: In a first for the company, Apple introduces new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage and spend less time on their devices. The move was spawned by a strongly worded letter from shareholders that urged the firm to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among kids and teenagers. 

2019: In January, Apple reports its first decline in revenues and profits in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed steep declines in revenue from China.

2020: In March, Apple closes all its bricks and mortar retail stores outside of China in response to coronavirus. 

2021: In an online virtual event in April CEO Tim Cook declared Apple’s goal of becoming carbon neutral for Earth Day. Later in the year the iPhone 13 was announced. 

2022: In September the iPhone 14 was announced. One of the new features included a new sensor to detect if a user had been in a car crash as well as an improved camera system. 

2023: Apple brought back its ‘Home Pod’ after the first generation was discontinued. The ‘Home Pod’ can be seen as an alternative to Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home as it is powered by voice commands. 

2024: Apple makes its first steps into artificial intelligence with the release of Apple Intelligence. The features are not all released at once with many delayed until the following year.