A Philly Special Christmas

The Record-Breaking Album Trilogy That Defined a Season

The Philly Specials holiday album series became a cultural phenomenon, uniting legendary artists with hometown favorites, from Stevie Nicks and Patti LaBelle to Amos Lee and Boyz II Men, into a celebratory Philadelphia-born world of Christmas.

The first record sold out in an hour, the second in just nine minutes, and by the release of the third, the project had raised more than $8 million for Philadelphia charities.

The third album also made national waves, charting as Billboard's #1 independent album, #2 holiday album, and #16 on the Billboard 200. What began as a musical collaboration evolved into a beloved tradition and a nationally recognized symbol of joy created by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Illustrating the Magic of Philadelphia’s Most Beloved Holiday Album

Inspired by the nostalgic charm of The Peanuts and A Charlie Brown Christmas, the first Philly Specials album embraced a playful, classic illustration style. Over the next three years, that aesthetic expanded into a fully realized world of its own, evolving from simple sketches into a rich illustrated and eventually animated universe that celebrated Christmas, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the city of Philadelphia. Alongside the album artwork, we created more than 200 unique illustrations that brought this growing world to life and gave the project its unmistakable character.

To bring the universe even further to life, we partnered with UnPOP to design the full cast of characters and the complete set for a stop-motion animation released on Thanksgiving. This collaboration transformed the illustrated world into a tactile, handcrafted experience that captured the warmth and whimsy of the project in an entirely new dimension.

Operation Snowball: A Citywide Gift of Joy

In its third year, the project set out to achieve the impossible: give every child in the Philadelphia public school district a holiday gift. That mission became Operation Snowball, inspired by Philadelphia’s unbreakable spirit. As Jason Kelce said, “Philly’s so special. I don't know that anything like this would have been possible anywhere else.”

The initiative launched with nearly $1 million in toys from Spin Master and grew with support from partners including Just Play, Fanatics, QVC, and Jazwares. Proceeds from the Philly Specials’ third album, A Philly Special Christmas Party, funded the effort, benefiting the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia.

The album also charted nationally, and to close out the trilogy, a special box set was released—cementing the project as a musical and philanthropic celebration of the city.