SMUGGLER

Fast Company: Mark Molloy and the team bring the richly textured world of A Critter Carol to life through fully practical, handcrafted artistry. Blending puppetry, miniature sets, and tactile in-camera techniques, the film creates a warm, holiday universe brought to life with meticulous detail and human touch. In an era dominated by digital tools, the piece highlights the power of craft, showing how physical materials, stop-motion influences, and hands-on design shape the emotional depth of Apple’s holiday storytelling.

Ad Age: Miles Jay earned multiple honors in Ad Age’s “25 Best Ads of 2025,” with his OpenAI films “Dish,” “Pull-Up,” and “Road Trip” recognized for their subtle craft and human-centered storytelling. Created with Isle of Any, the ChatGPT films spotlight the small, meaningful moments that shape everyday life. Continuing the recognition, Jay’s film “Secret Santa” for Facebook and Droga5 was also selected for the list, reintroducing the platform with a lived-in, emotionally resonant story. Together, these pieces showcase his ability to bring real emotional depth to even the smallest details.

Variety: Apple’s holiday film “A Critter Carol,” directed by Mark Molloy, brings a handcrafted warmth to the season. Shot entirely on the iPhone 17 Pro, the spot follows a group of handmade woodland puppets who record a charming musical message about friendship. Molloy’s emphasis on tactile, puppetry-driven storytelling gives the film its signature heart, highlighting his commitment to craft and emotional simplicity.

Wallpaper: C Prinz brings raw physicality and instinct-driven artistry to Charli XCX’s new “Wuthering Heights” era, redefining the pop star’s movement and visual language for the intense, gothic world of “Chains of Love.” A multi-hyphenate across film, creative direction, and choreography, Prinz channels emotional turbulence into visceral, body-first storytelling, reflected in the video’s extreme stunts and kinetic, edge-of-control staging. Building on her deep creative history with Charli from the Brat era, she shapes a performance style rooted in gut instinct and improvisation, turning the artist’s natural impulses into electrifying expression.

Ad Age: Miles Jay anchors Meta’s holiday storytelling with “Secret Santa,” shaping a simple office exchange into something tender and resonant. With his cinematic warmth and finely tuned character work, Jay reveals the quiet humor and heartfelt connection woven into everyday moments.

Another Mag: C Prinz unpacks the creation of Chains of Love, her fever-dream collaboration with Charli XCX for the Wuthering Heights soundtrack. Building on their long-running creative partnership, Prinz channels Charli’s raw performance energy into a high-voltage mix of visual storytelling and gothic spectacle. The music video highlights Prinz’s distinctive ability to fuse performance and world-building, shaping pop imagery that feels both fiercely modern and steeped in cinematic drama.

Remezcla: Buena Vista Social Club brought its celebrated Cuban rhythm to the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking a landmark appearance for Broadway’s first musical performed entirely in Spanish. Fresh off five Tony Awards and a Grammy nomination, the cast carried the show’s vibrant energy to millions, extending its spirit to one of the country’s most beloved holiday traditions.

Little Black Book: Guy Shelmerdine speaks with LBB’s Addison Capper about the delightfully surreal launch film for Stiller’s Soda, Ben Stiller’s playful reimagining of the classic soda commercial. The launch film, Introducing Stiller’s Soda, casts Stiller as a well-intentioned spokesman whose pitch slowly unravels into a bizarre, ASMR-infused exchange with Justin Theroux. Guy discusses how he and Stiller struck the perfect balance between nostalgia and modern humour, blending glossy ’80s aesthetics, slow-motion pours, and meticulous craft to create a parody that feels both cinematic and unexpected.

Little Black Book: Olivia De Camps directs ‘The Periodic Fable’, a surreal new film for The Ordinary and Uncommon Creative Studio that challenges the beauty industry’s reliance on misleading marketing terminology. Set in a dystopian classroom, the spot features students hypnotically reenacting viral skincare rituals while chanting a litany of buzzwords. Blending sculptural choreography with sharp satire, Olivia brings Uncommon’s concept to life with a vivid, unsettling clarity that underscores The Ordinary’s ongoing commitment to transparency and truth in skincare.