Did you see Christian Dior’s “Night in Color” ad? It’s gorgeous. A dreamy, fantastical tale set in Paris featuring talking animals, inspired by the friendship of Monsieur Dior and German actress Marlene Dietrich. Directed by French animator Sylvain Chomet, the short film’s delicate illustrations come alive with the voices of stars such as Robert Pattinson and Rihanna. It is oh so pretty. A love letter to storytelling, craft, and art in the infinite stream of AI-generated video vomit. Dior even made a behind-the-scenes video to show how it aligns with the fashion house’s artisanal and design values.
The only problem with this perfect brand narrative: The ad shows all of the signs of being made with AI assistance. Soon after it was released, internet commenters detected the telltales of AI use. Viewers spotted warped lettering, a lazy eye, and a misplaced finger bone—the kind of anatomical hiccup typical of generative AI. Different media outlets, from The Business of Fashion to Cartoon Brew, asked Dior about the controversy, but several days later have still not received a response. Fast Company has reached out to the press department at LVMH, Dior’s parent company, for comment and will update the story if we hear back.
The Dior “hand-drawn” animated commercial is just one example of the latest ad fad: In the age of AI slop, brands seem to have rediscovered the human hand. Nostalgia and artisanal values have become a luxury good.
Last year, Porsche released a holiday ad that used traditional hand-drawn animation and 3D animation. In August 2026, Apple released a Mac mini ad made with stop-motion, which required artists to move objects and clay a few millimeters at a time, photographing each step, frame by frame. Thousands of photos to create a few seconds of animation. The Cupertino company also released a stop-motion Apple Games ad a month ago. Even its Apple TV and Apple Music logos got remade, going from traditional computer design to 100% practical effects.
Prada’s hand-drawn holiday ad was directed by former Disney animator John Pomeroy. If you are not familiar with Pomeroy, he’s the genius behind masterpieces like The Secret of NIMH and All Dogs Go to Heaven. Other retailers are embracing the trend as well, with Levi’s rolling out a stop-motion film, Starbucks incorporating animated elements, and Anthropologie debuting a “handmade film.”
And that may be why Dior allegedly panicked when it heard that Prada was following suit with a legendary animation artist at the helm. According to Ben Wild—cofounder and CEO of a film studio whose clients include Netflix, HBO, Disney, and Gucci—“it was a rush job.”