Chewy Joins the Stop-Motion Avalanche

Is this the doggone cutest holiday campaign of the year?

And now for something completely different: A stop-motion holiday campaign.

The parade of animated fare continues with Chewy joining e.l.f. and Levi’s via three shorts developed with Starburns and director David Shafei.

Unlike the other two brands, Chewy blends stop motion and live action to bridge the gap between real-life and a snowy fantasy world. Its iconic blue delivery box serves as a portal, natch. Ratcheting up the cuteness, real doggos and their puppet doppelgängers appear.

The pooches, snowmen, mice, pine trees, a penguin, a cat and more were handcrafted from needle-wool over wire armatures. Their faces and body language are sweet and expressive. Some might find the approach too adorbs for its own good. But such grumps deserve coal in their stockings, so here’s another spot:

Wisely, the vignettes tell simple tales, with happy creatures enjoying treats from Chewy while their humans appreciate the convenience and low prices.

Yes, there’s a risk of stop-burnout this festive season—and we’re just a few days into November. Still, these efforts have all been top-notch so far. And Chewy’s initiative feels nostalgic without getting too Rankin-Bassy. Which is to say it’s pleasingly familiar but also stands out, thanks in large part to the puppetry replacing Claymation.

Also of note: the trend of brands self-consciously eschewing AI in favor of traditional creative techniques. This approach has become synonymous with dedication to craft, conveying notions of human attention to detail and quality. Fair enough. But AI’s here to stay; its one more tool in adland’s kit. One wonders how long marketers—which automate various processes left and right—will continue to trumpet their artisanal leanings before the point becomes moot (or even starts to feel regressive).

“We want to capture a little bit of what pets feel when they see a Chewy box,” Shafei explains in the BTS reel below. “We’re trying to blend the magic of the holiday with the magic of our pets. And I just can’t think of a better way to bring that through than stop-motion animation.”

“Chewy pet parents really love their pets. They connect with Chewy not only because of what it provides, but the whole ethos of the organization is truly committed to pets.

“Ultimately, one of the greatest things that Chewy does is they really invest in craft. They invest in working with real pets,” Shafei says. “[They get] the best trainers, the best teams to really tell stories about these pets and their world.”

Related: Painting a New Picture of Rescue Dogs to Bolster Pet Adoption