Something interesting is happening in advertising.
At the same time artificial intelligence is making it possible to generate increasingly sophisticated commercial imagery, some brands are choosing a very different approach.
They’re making things by hand.
Today, e.l.f. Beauty released a new holiday commercial created entirely through stop-motion animation.
Physical puppets. Miniature sets. Characters animated frame by frame.
The 60-second film, narrated by Alan Cumming, was directed by Cami Kwan of Apartment D Films.
And according to new reporting from The Wall Street Journal, e.l.f. isn’t alone.
Brands including Levi’s, Apple and Prada are embracing handcrafted techniques as a way to create distinctive advertising in an increasingly automated visual landscape.
I find this particularly interesting because it changes the conversation around production.
The process of making something can become part of what makes it valuable.
For years, we’ve used technology to make filmmaking more efficient.
Digital cameras replaced many expensive workflows. Visual effects expanded what we could create. And now AI is opening possibilities that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Those developments are exciting.
But as generated imagery becomes more accessible, the ability to produce a beautiful image may no longer be enough to distinguish one campaign from another.
The creative decisions behind that image become increasingly important.
And sometimes, the physical effort involved in creating it becomes part of the appeal.
There’s also an interesting opportunity here for production companies.
A commercial shoot doesn’t have to produce only the finished commercial.
The process itself can become content.
The construction of a set. The development of a character. A practical effect coming together. An actor discovering a moment during rehearsal.
Those experiences can reveal something about the creativity behind the finished work.
Of course, handcrafted production isn’t automatically better than AI-generated production.
A compelling idea can succeed through either approach.
And authenticity can’t be established simply by showing a behind-the-scenes video.
But I think brands are beginning to recognize that how something is made can influence how people perceive it.
At Caldera Films, I see the opportunity as using technology to expand creative possibilities without losing the value of deliberate craftsmanship — the same instinct behind brand films like our Adidas Stan Smith work and the behind-the-scenes energy in Not An Ad.
When creating images becomes easier, giving those images a distinctive identity may become even more important.
Caldera Films — The Core of Imagination · Beyond Reality.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal and e.l.f. Brands, November 2, 2026.