Martin Short Elfs Himself for Verizon and We're So There for It

Plus, the carrier delivers Manuel Turizo and Sebastian Rulli in Latino campaigns

To help Verizon ring in the holidays, Martin Short plays the loudest, freakiest elf in Santa’s workshop. Love it!

The legendary comic stars with Gen Z faves Megan Stalter and Marsai Martin in a skit that aims for cross-generational appeal. They stand around and riff with impressive results, as Short unwraps a merrily unhinged performance. He cackles and preens for all he’s worth, Spock-ears jutting out at odd angles as he savors the carrier’s deals.

Dude goes for it on every line and interaction.

Informed of Verizon’s low fees, he roars, “Break out the eggnog!” When “money snow”—symbolizing cash-back offers—falls from the sky, Short screeches, “Am I hallucinating!?”

Marty, YOU’RE the best gift of all!

Buoyed by impressive Dr. Seuss-style visuals, the spot manages to play it safe with recognizable stars and a brand-centric storyline while also offering an unexpectedly compelling focus of attention. That would be Short, hamming it up like the main dish at Christmas dinner.

Directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe set a colorful scene then wisely step out of the way as the cast does their thing.

“We set out to build a holiday campaign that people would genuinely smile at, not just scroll past,” says Ricardo Aspiazu, the telco’s SVP of brand creative. “Making big, ambitious, genuinely funny work takes a village, and this in-house crew is the absolute best in the game.”

Verizon’s rolling out dedicated pitches for the Latino audience, too, collaborating with The Community on the work below.

First, Colombian singer Manuel Turizo parties on the beach in “Hot Holidays.”

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Next, impressively chiseled Sebastián Rulli fronts “Dos Vidas, Un Destino,” spoofing the campy telenovelas he’s famous for.

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