THE HORROR

Valentino Slammed Over Truly ‘Uncomfortable’ Ads

Viewers say the luxury fashion brand’s AI-generated ad campaign is “cheap” and “tacky.”

Italian fashion house Valentino is facing backlash over a series of “uncomfortable” AI images used to advertise one of its new luxury handbags.

The first ad, described as a “journey through kaleidoscopic geometries and pure imagination,” was unveiled on the brand’s Instagram as part of a “digital creative project” in collaboration with artists.

But it was immediately torn apart by viewers for its “cheap” and “lazy” use of AI imagery, which experts have pointed to as proof that the practice has no place in the advertising industry.

In the opening scene of the clip, a blonde model morphs from a gold handbag before the scene clumsily transitions into a room full of unnatural-looking people. This is followed by a number of other strange scenes, with people’s arms transforming into the brand’s logo and a crowd melting into a kaleidoscopic swirl of bodies.

While the Instagram post promoting the $2,116 DeVain bag links to a website that admits the project was made using AI, the disclosure has done little to appease followers who accused the brand of “rage-baiting” their audience with the controversial technology.

“Disappointing from a couture fashion house,” one user commented. “Advertising campaigns are an opportunity to put talented creatives centre stage. AI in this instance is lazy at best.”

“Love Valentino product but this is a cheap, tacky AI mess,” said another.

Others criticized the disturbing visuals and said the ad “is honestly uncomfortable to watch,” while another wrote, “This sucks. To be a ‘luxury’ brand, this is so cheap and tacky.”

“This has to be rage-bait, right?” another disappointed observer asked.

Dr. Rebecca Swift, senior vice president at Getty Images, said the negative reaction to the campaign showed that people view AI imagery as “less valuable” than art created by humans.

“While people are excited by AI-generated content for personal use, they hold brands to a higher standard, especially expensive brands,” she told the BBC.

“Even full transparency about AI use wasn’t enough to win them over.”

Anne-Lise Prem of creative digital agency Loop said that even though Valentino was demonstrating the “right instinct” by being upfront about its use of AI, the backlash speaks to a “deeper cultural tension” about the technology’s place in society.

“The main issue is not the technology itself - it is the perception of what the technology replaces,” she told the BBC.

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“When AI enters the visual identity of a brand, people worry that the brand is choosing efficiency over artistry. Even if the execution is creative, audiences often read it as cost-saving disguised as innovation.”

Prem said that while there were “clear benefits” to incorporating AI into the creative process, “the risk is equally clear.”

“Without a strong emotional idea behind it, generative AI can make luxury feel less human at a moment when people want human presence more than ever,” she told the outlet.

Nine artists have been credited with working on Valentino’s latest ad campaign. Of those nine, five of them — Enter The Void, Paul Octavious, Albert Planella, Animus Pax, and Total Emotional Awareness - have admitted to using AI to assist them, the Daily Mail reports.

The Daily Beast has contacted Valentino for further comment.

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