Apple: Share Your Gifts
Apple and TBWA\Media Arts Lab Los Angeles needed to move beyond product - centric holiday advertising. They aimed to connect with creators by addressing the emotional barriers to sharing work. The goal was to position the MacBook as a tool for self - expression while driving brand love during the holiday season by encouraging people to share their hidden talents with the world.
Creative Idea
An animated girl hides her creations until her dog accidentally releases them to the world.
Apple inspired creators to overcome creative imposter syndrome through an animated film about a girl hiding her work, proving that sharing your gifts is the ultimate holiday gesture, set to an original Billie Eilish track.
The Miniature World Where Billie Eilish Came Out to Play
Hand-Built Sets and Robotic Precision
To achieve a "tangible, human feel," Buck Productions eschewed a fully digital environment. Instead, they constructed elaborate physical miniature sets by hand. To navigate these tiny streets and interiors with cinematic fluidness, the team employed a Kuka robotic arm. This hybrid approach allowed CGI characters to inhabit a world with real textures and natural light, avoiding the sterile look of traditional 3D animation.
A DIY Anthem from a Teenage Prodigy
The soundtrack features "come out and play," an original song by a then 16 - year - old Billie Eilish. In a move that mirrored the campaign’s "made on a Mac" message, Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell recorded the track in their family home using Logic Pro X. This collaboration helped propel the film to over 25 million YouTube views and turned the hashtag #ShareYourGifts into a viral movement for creators.
The Final Bow of a Creative Legend
This campaign marked a historical milestone as the last major project for Lee Clow, the legendary Chairman of TBWA\Media Arts Lab, before his retirement. Clow’s philosophy of "making it beautiful" is visible in the film’s subtle details. Sofia’s MacBook is not a pristine prop; it is covered in real - world stickers from Supreme, DFA Records, and Sonic Youth, signaling a shift in Apple’s strategy from selling a product to celebrating the identity of the "messy" creator.
Shifting the Holiday Narrative
The campaign successfully moved Apple away from traditional retail - focused messaging. By addressing creative imposter syndrome, the brand reported strong holiday sales for the MacBook and iPad, proving that emotional resonance could drive commercial results. The story’s catalyst - a dog accidentally opening a window - served as a metaphor for the vulnerability required to share one's work with the world.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Apple's legacy as the tool for creators and its ecosystem of intuitive software like Logic Pro and MacBook Pro.
Category
Tech brands usually focus on product specs, holiday discounts, or the joy of receiving a new gadget as a gift.
Customer
Aspiring creators who feel their work isn't good enough and hide their projects out of fear of rejection.
Culture
A growing cultural conversation around vulnerability and the imposter syndrome felt by digital creators in a perfectionist world.
Company
Apple's legacy as the tool for creators and its ecosystem of intuitive software like Logic Pro and MacBook Pro.
Category
Tech brands usually focus on product specs, holiday discounts, or the joy of receiving a new gadget as a gift.
Strategy:
Reframe the brand from a hardware manufacturer to an emotional partner that validates the vulnerability of creative expression.
Customer
Aspiring creators who feel their work isn't good enough and hide their projects out of fear of rejection.
Culture
A growing cultural conversation around vulnerability and the imposter syndrome felt by digital creators in a perfectionist world.
Strategy:
Reframe the brand from a hardware manufacturer to an emotional partner that validates the vulnerability of creative expression.
Results
The campaign achieved significant global reach with over 25 million views on YouTube, including 12 million views within the first few weeks. It was localized into 16 languages and sparked a viral movement via the #ShareYourGifts hashtag, where creators shared their own 'hidden' projects. Apple reported strong holiday sales for the quarter, specifically citing the campaign's effectiveness in driving interest for the MacBook and iPad. The work was one of the most awarded of 2019, winning 3 Cannes Lions (2 Gold, 1 Silver), a Grand Clio for Use of Music, a D&AD Yellow Pencil, 2 Gold Pencils at The One Show, and 2 Webby Awards.
25M+
YouTube Views
16
Languages Localized
Grand Prix
Clio Award for Music
Strategy Technique
Start With a Tension
It taps into the universal human fear of vulnerability, positioning Apple products as the silent enablers of a creative process that deserves to be seen.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Story-Driven Campaign
The campaign uses a high - quality animated short film to tell a relatable story about internal struggle, making the brand an emotional ally rather than just a vendor.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign masterfully blends physical craftsmanship with digital innovation, using handmade miniature sets and a DIY-recorded anthem to humanize a global tech brand.
A unique hybrid approach combined CGI characters with physical miniature sets filmed using a Kuka robotic arm for a tangible, human feel.
An original track by Billie Eilish was recorded at home on Logic Pro X, perfectly mirroring the campaign's 'made on a Mac' DIY ethos.
Hand-built physical environments and a sticker-covered MacBook created an authentic, lived-in aesthetic that avoided sterile tech tropes.
The visual narrative successfully shifted Apple's identity from a hardware retailer to a soulful partner for the creative community.
The magic lies in the 'tangible' hybridity: the physical miniatures provide a soul and texture that perfectly ground the digital characters and the DIY bedroom-pop soundtrack.
