The holidays bring a rush of well-crafted cards, heartfelt “from our family to yours” messages and seasonal campaigns, all aiming to land a moment of connection. But with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, even the most thoughtful gestures can start to feel… expected.
In 2024, we wanted to cut through the holiday clutter and do something different. In real life, our team works exceptionally well together.So we thought: What if we showed the exact opposite?
We made a fake video about a fake holiday card that never got made. And things spiralled from there.
Inspired by The Office and a classic workplace meltdown, we wrote, shot, and produced a mockumentary-style video: How Katie Phipps Ruined Christmas — a fictional behind-the-scenes story about what happens when your favourite agency can’t agree on anything. Not even the Christmas card.
We filmed during the coldest week of the year, in our office and at Courtnei’s house, with the whole team fully committed to the bit, delivering performances that, in our opinion, rival some of Hollywood’s finest.
We rolled it out just like a real campaign: hosted on a custom URL, (howkatiephippsruinedchristmas.com), teased on social, and sent directly to clients via our annual holiday card email.
The entire project was shot and edited in a day, truly showcasing our ability to conceive and create under tight timelines.
It quickly became one of our favourite projects of the year.
We weren’t the only ones who loved it. Just ask our clients.
· “You guys are hilarious, lol.” – Steven Noble, Heartland Polymers
· “Best ever ❤️” – Michael Kohlweg, Mountain Fold Studio
· “Thanks for sharing this, made me laugh, and made my day.” – Edmund Lee, Coulee Ridge Development
· “DYINGGGGGGG ☠️” – Rachel Frontain, AnewChiropractic Clinic
· “I was going to do a JibJab...This was amazing.” – Kelvin Gieck, Twenty Eighty
We even got a few requests to “please do this every year.” We’re thinking about it.
