Prada Launches Hand‑Drawn Holiday Campaign Featuring Live‑Action and Animation

As generative AI continues to saturate the internet and advertising, several luxury brands are turning to human craftsmanship for their Christmas marketing.

The initiative has been hailed as “effort signaling,” an approach that celebrates the artistry behind each piece at a time when cost‑cutting often yields generic content.

Italian fashion house Prada has embraced this philosophy for its latest holiday push, opting for traditional hand‑drawn illustration instead of AI‑generated visuals.

The “Drawing Prada: Animated By Hand” campaign blends live‑action footage with hand‑drawn characters. Veteran animator John Pomeroy leads a team of artists, bringing the animated figures and environments to life. Developed under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, with Ferdinando Verderi overseeing campaign creative direction, each frame is meticulously drawn by hand while the live‑action scenes are photographed by Glen Luchford.

“That sense of touch expresses a fundamental notion of humanity, and a connection with craft that always lies at the very heart of Prada’s approach to creation,” the brand said in a press release.

The campaign features a star‑studded cast of celebrity ambassadors, including Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Chen Haoyu, Luther Ford, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Pomeroy, best known for his work at Disney, contributed to iconic titles such as *Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too* (1974), *The Rescuers* (1977), *Pete’s Dragon* (1977), and *The Fox and the Hound* (1981). After leaving Disney, he founded Don Bluth Productions, creating films like *The Secret of NIMH* and *The Land Before Time*. He later returned to Disney, working on *Pocahontas*, *Fantasia 2000*, *Atlantis: The Lost Empire*, and *Treasure Planet*. Additional credits include animation for *Curious George*, several Tom and Jerry films, and *Space Jam: A New Legacy*.

In a behind‑the‑scenes feature, Pomeroy explained his dedication to traditional techniques. “I learnt my craft with pencil and paper, through traditional, analogue drawing. We’ve remained faithful to that approach and want to pass it on to future generations,” he said. “There’s a very distinct and purposeful reason to do hand‑drawn animation, and that’s to see that there’s value in it and that hand‑drawn and handcrafted work is still alive in the world today.”

Prada’s move comes as other brands continue to rely on AI‑generated content, drawing criticism. Coca‑Cola, for example, faced backlash for its AI‑driven holiday ads in both 2024 and 2025, failing to learn from earlier missteps.

Consumer sentiment is shifting. A growing backlash against pervasive AI technology is prompting younger, digitally savvy audiences to value human creativity, while older generations are drawn to traditional crafts as a counter‑culture statement.

The “not‑made‑by‑AI” positioning has become a powerful selling point. Prada’s campaign has resonated strongly online, with users commenting: “Love it when ads go AI free, much respects to the artists”; “Now this, THIS is how you make an ad”; “Normally not interested in Prada, but I’m reading ‘Animated by Hand’ and I’m in”; and “Such a breath of fresh air seeing something with soul again.”

The enthusiastic response demonstrates that hand‑drawn illustration can still captivate audiences and spark genuine excitement.

Prada’s initiative sets a bold benchmark. It remains to be seen whether a multi‑billion‑dollar conglomerate like Coca‑Cola will invest in authentic animators this season or continue producing derivative AI‑crafted campaigns that appropriate artistic talent without permission.

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