Apple’s annual holiday film is swiftly becoming one of the most hotly anticipated of the season, and this year the tech brand has produced another winner, which combines exquisite craft with a narrative that puts an emphasis on kindness and friendship.

As always with Apple’s ads, the tone is set by its soundtrack, with this year’s offering accompanied by George Harrison’s poignant ballad Isn’t It A Pity, from his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass, which points out the human tendency to be self-absorbed and “forgetting to give back”.

The film tells the story of a bored office worker who has a creative outlet in the making of beautiful stop motion films (made using an iPhone, natch) which she uses to take revenge on her pedantic, demanding boss by showing him getting covered in snow and falling in rivers.

As the film develops though, we see her become aware of another side of her manager, that in her annoyance she’d overlooked, which then gives rise to a burgeoning friendship. The spot ends with the tagline: You make the holidays.

The fuzzy feelings of the title reflect both the film’s emotional resonance plus the lovely stop motion shots, which are created by animator Anna Mantzaris, who worked with live action director Lucia Aniello on the spot. Alongside its narrative of benevolence, the ad also points out the role of creativity in helping to make a kinder, less divisive world – all hail to that.

Credits:
Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Director: Lucia Aniello
DP: James Laxton
Production Company: Hungry Man
Animation Director: Anna Mantzaris
Animation Production Company: Passion Pictures