Just as we look forward to a vintage year for animation in 2026, Dunkin' has shown that animation still delivers magic for festive advertising too. Taking inspiration from storybooks, its holiday ad turns the limelight on the brand's smallest menu item with humour and a dash of festive joy.
After the terrible Coca-Cola AI Christmas ad, the delightful spot shows how a more handcrafted approach can triumph. See our guide to the best animation software if you're inspired.
Dunkin's The Little Holiday Munchkin was produced by Artists Equity. It features rhyming verse read by Mindy Kaling, and it's animated by BUCK. The vibrant 3D animation presents the typically overlooked donut hole as a symbol of festive joy with the story of a lonely Munchkin who finally feels visible after a kid chooses it as the “best bite of all.”
Buck says the aim was to create a cohesive holiday narrative across every touchpoint. They began the project with the development of festive packaging that raises the status of the Munchkins to festive hero.
“Dunkin' produces nearly a billion units of cups and boxes each year, so we started with designing the holiday packaging as soon as we kicked off,” the creative agency says. “We took advantage of each specific surface, transparent cups and little cottage-esque carry boxes, to create extra silly vignettes.”
Using the playful mood and designs from the packaging as inspiration, they then brought the characters from 2D into 3D. A children's book will also be released, with proceeds to be donated to go to the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation.
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