Instacart is launching a new seasonal advertising campaign designed to evoke the nostalgia of classic holiday stop-motion animation, such as the beloved Rankin/Bass specials (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman).

The campaign employs a similar colorful, hand-crafted stop-motion style to highlight the sheer convenience and broad range of goods—including non-grocery items like Christmas ornaments and lights—available through the company’s mobile application.

“Get a Little Magic Delivered”

The new creative platform, titled “Get a little magic delivered,” is specifically targeting consumers Instacart calls “Magic Makers”—individuals who shoulder a significant portion of holiday preparation but are looking to reduce their stress this season.

The stop-motion spots were created through a collaboration involving Starburns Industries, RadicalMedia, and Instacart’s internal agency, Local Produce. They will run nationally across a variety of platforms, including linear television, over-the-top (OTT) streaming, paid social media, and online video.

Jasmine Taylor, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Instacart, described the campaign’s ethos:

“We designed this campaign to celebrate the people quietly holding the holidays together. There’s so much pressure to make every moment perfect, and we wanted to offer some relief.”

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Retail Media and Social Extensions

The seasonal push is strengthened by support from over 25 CPG partners, including major brands like Oatly, Kerrygold, Duracell, Marie Calendar, and Breyer’s. These partners not only appear in the commercials alongside animated characters (such as a muscly polar bear) but will also participate in retail media activations running from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.

Instacart is extending the “life-hack” theme to social media with its highly anticipated Lie Pie kit, a concept developed with agency Rethink. The kit includes an already-baked pie but features separately packaged ingredients, allowing consumers to convince guests the pastry was made from scratch.

Reality television star Boston Rob, known for his strategic and often underhanded play on shows like Survivor, is promoting the Lie Pie on social channels. A limited quantity of the kits will be made available in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago for shoppers who donate to Feeding America through a dedicated Lie Pie microsite.

This hand-crafted, animated approach serves as a contrast to other brands that have increasingly experimented with artificial intelligence-generated advertisements for the holiday season. 

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