Puppets in Advertising
Why They Still Work (and Why Your Brand Should Use Them)
Puppets aren’t making a comeback; they've been stealing scenes all along. While recent high-profile campaigns, from Super Bowl spots to seasonal campaigns might make it seem like puppets are trending again, the truth is they never really disappeared. What’s actually happening? Marketers are waking up again to just how powerful puppets can be.
Puppets are strange, delightful disruptors and some of us are just now remembering how much we’ve missed them.
Why Puppets Still Matter in 2025
They’re tactile. Timeless. Each with their own personality always co-created with the storyteller, the puppeteer, the scriptwriter… they bring an element of surprise even to those who design them.
Puppets also bring a level of emotional connection to audiences that’s increasingly rare in today’s hyper-digital landscape. While AI avatars and CG animations multiply by the second, puppets offer something real. Handcrafted. Human. Weird in the best way.
They make people stop scrolling, not because they’re flashy, but because they’re authentic. That authenticity breeds trust, and trust breeds action. That’s part of why they are so powerful as tools for advertising.
The Power of Playful Nostalgia
Remember Farfel the Dog back in 1960 used in Nestle’s quick commercials? Or Budweister’s frog campaign from 1995 with three life-like puppets named Bud, Weis, and Er - this became one of the most famous alcohol campaigns ever! One that we worked on, Diet Coke’s Love it Light, became known internationally and featured fashionable marionettes that successfully blended puppetry with the aesthetic of the time. They were chic and unique.
And they don’t just market, they create feelings. And feelings drive behavior.
Not Just for Kids. Never Were.
Puppets are often underestimated in Western markets, filed away as children’s entertainment. But internationally, puppetry has long been used in campaigns for all ages, and for good reason. Puppets are wildly flexible. They can be irreverent, elegant, absurd, political, or poetic. They speak directly to the human brain’s love of character and narrative. And they do it with style.
Puppets vs. Everything Else
Influencers are everywhere. CGI is overused. Of course, animation can be beautiful but puppets? They’re tangible. Uncanny. Intriguing.
Eleanor, Bernadette, and Irene, three marionettes created by Puppet Heap in collaboration with Legs Media for a campaign by Mother.
They create a real-world sense of presence that digital tools can’t quite replicate. They invite viewers into a world where anything is possible, from talking stomachs to opinionated geckos, fantastical mascots with real emotional range.
Puppets aren’t perfect and that’s the point. Their imperfections make them relatable, memorable, and emotionally sticky.
At Puppet Heap, We Bring Ideas to Life
We’ve spent over two decades helping brands, agencies, and creators bring unforgettable characters to life. We’re not trend-chasers, we're craftspeople who understand how to turn personality into puppetry, and puppetry into audience connection.
From sketch to screen, we collaborate closely to ensure each character doesn’t just look amazing, but feels alive. Our work isn’t for nostalgia’s sake. It’s about using the timeless power of puppetry to tell modern stories that resonate.
Looking Forward
Puppetry in advertising isn’t just having a moment, it's part of a larger shift back to what truly works: creativity, character, and connection. As marketers look for new ways to reach increasingly distracted audiences, puppets offer a fresh and strangely familiar solution.
The puppet itself IS story it tells.
We’d love to hear from you. If you’re a brand, agency, or creative looking to do something truly original, reach out. Or just share your thoughts, what’s your take on the role of puppetry in modern marketing?
