Through its new ‘Drawing Prada: Animated By Hand’ campaign, the Italian luxury brand is making a statement for human craftsmanship. At a time when generative AI slop is omnipresent in advertising, Prada’s stance resonates with those who consider AI to be a threatening form of technology.
For a long time, artificial intelligence has been something we only thought possible in science fiction movies or maybe a far-off future. However, over the past few years, the technology has been making rapid progress, to the point where many consider it a threat to humanity as we know it.
Yet despite the cautionary messages expressed by creatives and those who are generally concerned about what humanity might become when generative AI takes over, many brands and businesses are not afraid of using the technology. Not only does AI allow them to manage their business more effectively, but an AI prompt is also cheaper than the work of a creative.
Altogether, this has led to a never-ending amount of AI slop, or content created by artificial intelligence. Texts, images, and entire advertising campaigns are launched using the technology, which is increasingly leading people to feel fed up with it all. And in a world where AI slop is everywhere, those who specifically choose to work with humans stand out.
Prada, too, has gotten the message. Its newest Winter campaign, ‘Drawing Prada: Animated By Hand’, is explicitly taking a stance for human craftsmanship and creativity. The Italian luxury brand is thus making the most of the fact that human design is turning into a true selling point for those who no longer support the idea of generative AI.
“Drawing Prada”: a celebration of craft and process. Created with the anachronistic technique of hand-drawn illustration, the Prada Holiday 2026 campaign invents an ensemble of whimsical characters and landscapes, starring Luther Ford, together with Prada Ambassadors Chen Haoyu, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Sadie Sink. Discover the new Prada Holiday 2026 campaign: https://t.co/S7jP7Ua4nj Creative Directors: #MiucciaPrada and #RafSimons Photographer: #GlenLuchford Animation Direction: #JohnPomeroy Campaign Creative Direction: #FerdinandoVerderi Cast: #LutherFord #ChenHaoyu #MayaHawke #KelvinHarrisonJr #SadieSink #PradaHoliday #PradaGifts #Prada
— PRADA (@Prada) October 27, 2026
In its campaign, Prada has combined live-action footage with hand-drawn characters. Those drawings were made by animator John Pomeroy, who might be best known for his Disney work on movies including Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, The Fox and the Hound, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
“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. 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,” Pomeroy explained in a behind-the-scenes video accompanying the campaign.
The live-action scenes included in the campaign were photographed by Glen Luchford and include ambassadors such as Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Chen Haoyu, Luther Ford, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
‘Drawing Prada: Animated By Hand’ was developed under the creative direction of Miuccia Prada herself and co-creative director Raf Simons, while Ferdinando Verderi oversaw the creative direction of the campaign.
Although many brands, big and small, are still opting for AI slop out of convenience, Prada’s choice for human craftsmanship may be announcing a turning point. In a world where content generated by AI is within reach of virtually anyone, human creativity and expertise have become an actual luxury that is appealing to a growing, AI-sceptic public.
