Last Updated on February 4, 2026 by Jean Louis
(Youtube video screenshot of the advertising of Intermarché produced by Illogic Studio. Video available down this article with English subtitles)
The digital world is buzzing, but recently, a simple, heartfelt Christmas commercial from French supermarket Intermarché cut through the noise globally. Its secret? Zero AI.
This story isn’t just about advertising; it’s about the essential truth of what we do here at Beestrot. Just as the best recipes are seasoned with heart and memory, the most powerful stories are those infused with genuine human intelligence and emotion.
A Global Phenomenon Built on Heart
The buzz around the Intermarché ad, titled “L’Amour, L’Amour,” is monumental. Since its launch, it has garnered over 600 million views worldwide. This kind of success doesn’t happen by accident, nor does it happen with a computer algorithm drawing pixels.
In a direct counterpoint, the French public saw another major brand, McDonald’s, forced to withdraw a heavily criticized spot that was 100% AI-generated. The comparison is stark: one generated empathy and went viral; the other fell flat and was pulled.
The Intermarché campaign, imagined by the Romance agency and brought to life by the animation experts at Illogic Studios, proves that human expertise reigns supreme when transmitting deep, moving emotions. The two-minute short film is a masterclass in empathy (the one that Elon Musk will never have) and a strong message of togetherness, all rendered with beautiful, painstaking drawings and refined execution.
The Cost of Real Art
Intermarché’s CEO, Thierry Cotillard, proudly stated that the company chose to create “a small artistic work not by putting a computer to work, but human intelligence.”
Lucas Navarro, co-founder of Illogic Studios, confirmed to AFP that the fact that all the drawings were “made and painted by humans” and “in a traditional way” is precisely what “allows for the creation of real emotion.”
This emotion required commitment: more than 60 artists were involved in the realization of the film over a period of six months. Théophile Dufresne, the other studio co-founder, summed it up perfectly: “Each of these humans made this film possible with the result as it is today.”
Even the Illogic team acknowledges the utility of AI, but only “anecdotally” for minor programming tasks. For them, AI is a “tool at the service of artists,” not a substitute for the creative soul. And that’s a lesson we can all take to the kitchen.
The Indispensable Human Element
In a world where children and adults alike are often lost between the right and the wrong, the real and the fake, truth and genuine emotion remain the essential compass points of life. This human need for connection and emotional sincerity is what elevates storytelling from data to art.
This is why, despite all its technological power, AI will never fully replace or substitute these fundamental emotions. AI is an incredibly powerful tool to assist creativity, but it cannot originate the messy, beautiful core of human experience.
Here at Beestrot, we are committed to that human core. While we currently use high-quality AI-generated photos as placeholders across our blog, awaiting the moment our real, dish-by-dish photography is complete, the essence of every recipe and every piece of content remains 100% human. It simply can’t be otherwise. The love for the food, the memory of the taste, the passion for sharing it—that’s all real, emotions included.
Finally, a hidden gem in the viral ad is the song: “Je suis le mal-aimé” (I am the unloved one) by the legendary French singer Claude François. Few people know that one of his songs: “Comme d’habitude” deeply melancholic French song was later adapted and transformed by Paul Anka into the iconic American standard, “My Way,” which became Frank Sinatra’s signature anthem. It’s a powerful metaphor: a story, born of genuine emotion, can travel, transform, and gain new life, but its profound human origin is what gives it lasting power.Enjoy the video below and Happy Holidays!
Cook. Learn. Inspire.
Jean-Louis
(The video below contains English subtitles for the full emotional experience of the Intermarché campaign.)
