WINTER TALES: Prada’s antidote to AI slop comes with a cast of young actors, an established photographer — and a dash of fantasy.
Known for its longstanding ties with the cinema, the brand explored the world of animation for its “Drawing Prada” holiday 2026 campaign, which is to be released on Tuesday.
The images mix photography by Glen Luchford with the hand-drawn illustrations created by artists led by John Pomeroy, a legendary cinematic animator whose eye has helped define some of the key productions of the past 50 years as he was involved in productions spanning from “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” to “Pocahontas” and “Fantasia 2000,” to cite a few.
In the campaign, an international cast of young actors is seen immersed in animated winter wonderlands and interacting with the fantasy creatures originated from Pomeroy’s pencil for the occasion. The acting talents include “Stanger Things” costars Maya Hawke and Sadie Sink; Chinese singer and actor Chen Haoyu — also known as Amy Chen — as well as Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Luther Ford.
Flanking the still images, filmic shorts amplify the whimsical spirit of the campaign, blending real-life action with illustrated animation in spotlighting the brand’s accessories offering for the season. For example, a cynical fox character follows Hawke in the snow; little mice steal Sink’s Prada shoes; a snow lynx goes after Haoyu’s Prada bag while rabbits and bats play with Ford’s leather accessories.
“It was an absolute honor to have Prada ask me to direct this series of 2D animated films for their 2026 holiday campaign,” said Pomeroy, who served as animation director of the project. “The merging of our two art forms took our combined creativity to the next level. It also advances the legacy of classic hand-drawn animation for many generations to enjoy. It was a blessing to with work with such an amazing crew of experienced and dedicated artists and administrators that made this vision come to life.”
A behind-the-scenes video was additionally realized to further spotlight the choral effort and the hand techniques behind the crafty execution.
“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 said in the clip. “I learned my craft with pencil and paper….We’ve stuck to that, and we want to carry that forward into future generations.”
