Marionettes Pull the Holiday Strings for CALPAK

The luggage brand and Bob Baker Theater dial the whimsy up to 11

Giant Puppet Santa’s not a Christmas tradition. Yet.

But CALPAK does its best to rectify this yuletide oversight in the minute-long spot below. The luggage brand trades AI and other high-tech tricks for taut cords, steel rods and funny faces made from felt and fabric. Handcrafted figures from Bob Baker Marionette Theater anchor the holiday message.

There’s a mid-twentieth-century vibe at play. It’s like a commercial your grandparents might have seen on a local TV station back in the day.

Wags might suggest that Claus has been a corporate puppet for years hell-bent on seasonal selling. We’d never stoop so low and risk coal in our stocking.

Kidding aside, it’s something different—a fresh take on familiar themes delivered in robust fashion.

“We wanted to partner with a fellow L.A.-centric institution, and Bob Baker has been creating memorable experiences for families for more than six decades,” says Jennifer Houston, CALPAK senior director of brand marketing. “That spirit of wonder and nostalgia felt like a natural fit for the story we wanted to tell. We chose to tell the story through the eyes of a child because kids have a way of finding magic in the little things adults sometimes rush past.”

The marionettes “gave the campaign a storybook quality we couldn’t have recreated from scratch,” she tells Muse. “Both brands also have an intergenerational appeal, which felt especially meaningful during a season centered on families coming together.”

Artist Jimmy Marble and digital creator Jillian Wheeler (who directed) helped bring the tale to life.

“One of the most exciting creative elements was the contrast between a classic holiday aesthetic and Los Angeles, a city better known for sunshine than snow,” Houston says. “That unexpected juxtaposition helped make the world of the campaign feel both familiar and new. The vintage car evokes the timeless feeling of a family road trip, while the marionettes bring a touch of handcrafted whimsy to the story.”

The campaign follows CALPAK’s unexpected teamup with Randy’s Donuts Last year for its Glazed Collection.

Related: Confused.com’s Precocious Puppets Will Have You ‘Laughing Til the Cows Come Home’