Aussie Telco Explains How the Ghost Stole Christmas

Have a cute, emo holiday everyone!

Meet the new spirit of Christmas, courtesy of Australian telecommunications giant Telstra.

Actually, the :60 below presents kindred spirits—a sad, Wednesday Addams-type schoolgirl and a bedsheet ghost with the blahs.

Let’s watch them shrug off the seasonal blues in an oddly satisfying animated tale:

Halloween and Xmas imagery often mix well. They certainly do so here, while the story’s simplicity and ’90s nostalgia prove another winning combination. The downbeat vibe and washed-out backgrounds effectively capture the ennui some folks seek to dispel this time of year.

The alt-pop of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight Tonight”—both upbeat and moody on the soundtrack—adds an extra dimension. It sure beats “Jingle Bells.” (Plus, the band’s name is so Halloween-y.)

The goal was to avoid cliched festive tropes and catch viewers off-guard, says Micah Walker, CCO at Bear Meets Eagle on Fire, which developed the work with +61, animation studio Mathematic and Revolver director Steve Rogers.

“Having two characters who kind of didn’t fit in, visually, but also in the context of their own Christmas stories, seemed to us to be touching on something a bit more unexpected,” Walker tells Muse.

What’s more, “This campaign is about connection: the kind that transcends distance, differences, and even tradition,” added Alita McMenamin, Telstra’s head of brand and marcom. “It’s about finding your people, whoever and wherever they are, and celebrating the joy of being together.”

But wait … there’s merch!

“So many folks come into Telstra stores for holiday shopping, so going that little bit extra on all the things that aren’t just transactional makes for a lovelier experience,” Walker says.

“The shirts are really just for staff. But the glass baubles, cookie-cutters and pins are small acts of generosity, really.”