Bringing Corky the champagne cork pup to life was an absolute joy for us at Talk to the Hand Puppets. When we were approached to help create the star of Dogs Trust’s festive ad, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it. The idea of a scrappy little dog made from corks tugged at our hearts and sparked our imagination—it’s not every day you get asked to build a tiny, lovable canine out of party leftovers. We were especially excited to work with And Rising and director Vaughan Arnell, to be part of such a warm and important message: “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas.”
Now, making Corky wasn’t exactly a walk in the park—he may be small, but boy, he was mighty detailed! At under 8cm tall, we had to be super precise with every cork, wiggle, and wag. We built in tiny hidden mechanisms so he could bound, scamper, bark, prick up it’s ears and give the most adorable little tail wags. Our puppeteers rehearsed the minute movements—getting Corky to feel like a real pup took a lot of coordination and creativity. But watching him come to life on set? Utter magic.
The best part? Viewers absolutely fell in love with him! Corky trotted his way into hearts everywhere and even snagged the title of “Top Christmas Commercial” in the prestigious Opinium poll. Some people thought he was stop-motion animated—flattering, but nope, that was pure puppetry! We’re super proud of how Corky turned out, and even prouder to help spread such an important message in a fun, furry way.