Disney kept its holiday short with adam&eve through Omnicom's agency restructuring, giving the partnership its third consecutive installment.
The 2026 film, "A Disney Holiday Short: The Invisible Horse," marks the first collaboration under the adam&eve\TBWA name.
Directed by Dougal Wilson, the three-minute film follows a boy who rediscovers Christmas magic through an unlikely friendship with an invisible horse.
Wilson replaces Taika Waititi, who directed the series' first two installments.
He also directed several of John Lewis' best-known Christmas campaigns for adam&eve.
Woody from Toy Story and Elsa from Frozen make cameo appearances.
"Disney has long been part of the traditions, memories, and moments that make the holiday season so special for families around the world."
"This season, we're bringing the best of Disney together to give families more ways to make the holidays magic," said Asad Ayaz, chief marketing and brand officer at The Walt Disney Company.
He added that Disney wants to make the season special for children and families who need it most.
The appointment continues Disney's agency relationship despite significant changes across Omnicom's creative network.
Disney Keeps Its Holiday Storytelling With adam&eve
The Invisible Horse follows Jack, a boy who believes he has outgrown Christmas.
His outlook changes when an invisible creature enters his life.
The creature then takes him on an adventure that rekindles his imagination and reconnects him with his family.
Wilson's John Lewis credits include "The Long Wait," "Monty's Christmas," and "Buster the Boxer."
The film uses physical interactions to suggest the horse's presence, including hoofprints in the snow and objects moving around Jack.
Its soundtrack features an updated version of "Oo-De-Lally" from Disney's 1973 animated film Robin Hood.
Woody and Elsa also appear, connecting the original story with two recognizable Disney franchises.
The creative campaign extends across Disney's parks, streaming platforms, TV, consumer products, and charitable partnerships.
Disney is also working with Make-A-Wish, Blue Star Families, and Toys for Tots during the holiday season.
The director change gives the annual series a fresh creative voice while Disney retains the agency relationship behind its original concept.
7 Years of Average Client-Agency Tenure
The ANA and 4As reported that client-agency relationships now last approximately seven years on average.
Their 2025 study found that tenure has more than doubled since 2016, when the average was 3.2 years.
Independent agencies reported an average tenure of 7.3 years, compared with 5.8 years for holding company agencies.
Integrated full-service agencies also averaged 7.3 years, while media-only agencies averaged 3.7 years.
Clients without mandatory review cycles averaged 8.1 years, while those running frequent mandatory reviews averaged 3.8 years.
Agencies and brands managing long-term creative partnerships can draw three lessons from Disney's agency continuity and holiday marketing strategy:
Preserve the Relationship Through Restructuring
Brands should confirm which creative leads stay on their account when an agency's holding company consolidates networks or retires its name.
Mars also kept Twix's "Two Is More Than One" platform with the agency, which launched its "Double Act" follow-up as adam&eve\TBWA in July 2026.
Match Creative Talent to the Brand's Story
Brands should push their agencies for directors whose past work already hits the emotional tone the campaign needs.
Disney followed the same logic in 2024 for "The Boy & the Octopus," when it hired Taika Waititi after he directed Coca-Cola's 2020 Christmas ad.
Connect Original Content to the Wider Brand
Brands should give original entertainment a defined role across their seasonal marketing, retail, and customer engagement activities.
Disney's 2022 holiday ad launched alongside a gift range sold through more than 187 retailers across over 100 product categories.
Disney's holiday brand strategy gives adam&eve\TBWA a continuing role in a major seasonal property while connecting with its wider marketing activity.
Our Take: Can Agency Continuity Survive Consolidation?
adam&eve\TBWA kept Disney's holiday short through Omnicom's IPG merger, and the Dougal Wilson hire shows how.
We don't think consolidation has to cost an agency its marquee clients when the work keeps proving what the client hired it for.
John Lewis moved its Christmas ads from Wilson's old team at adam&eve to Saatchi & Saatchi in 2023.
The agency's 2026 John Lewis ad drew a public backlash days before Disney released "The Invisible Horse."
Disney now gets the John Lewis formula from the team that built it.
This loyalty beats the odds, since holding company agencies keep clients 1.5 fewer years than independents, per ANA and 4As.
Agencies inside Omnicom's new networks should name the creative strength that each big client hired them for and protect it through the reorg.
Brands planning similar campaigns can explore these top ad agencies for partners in seasonal storytelling and integrated marketing.
