PARIS (AP) — A French supermarket's understated Christmas ad does what most global brands can only dream of: connecting deeply with millions of people around the world without a single frame of generative artificial intelligence.
The two-and-a-half-minute film Le mal aimé, produced for Intermarché, tells a simple but powerful story: a lone wolf, feared and avoided by other forest animals, decides to change.
Instead of hunting, he learns to cook vegetables and brings a homemade dish to the Christmas feast, gradually winning friendship and acceptance.
The story unfolds in a warm, picturesque, lively world filled with lively scenes in which a child is soothed by a story at Christmas.
What might have seemed like a gentle children's fairy tale captured hearts far beyond the borders of France.
Within days of its December debut, it racked up hundreds of millions of views worldwide, inspiring fan art, international praise and emotional posts from viewers who say the wolf's journey reflects their own struggles with belonging.
“It’s a transformative arc, the story of a man trying to change himself to become a better person,” Julien Bon, creative director at Romance agency, which created the ad, told The Associated Press. “And this applies to everyone.”
Victor Chevalier, senior copywriter at Romance, said the answer is based on real emotion. In an era where digital advertising increasingly relies on artificial intelligence shortcuts, audiences responded to the handcrafted humanity behind the film, he said. “AI can’t create stories,” Chevalier said. “We create stories.”
He said the success of “Unloved” depends on the pace of its production. “The success of our advertising is that we took the time,” he said.
Indeed, the commercial was created over several months by a team of artists and animators who painstakingly worked out every gesture, facial expression and detail.
This traditional craftsmanship is part of what people come to celebrate online, especially as mega-brands create glossy, artificial intelligence-powered holiday destinations that draw criticism for appearing empty and soulless.
The emotional core of the story is enhanced by Claude François's classic French pop song “Le mal aimé”. It's a nostalgic touch that has also led to a surge in streams of the song as audiences rediscover it.
Intermarché's raison d'être is, of course, to sell products. But the ad's creators say the goal was broader: to remind people of what unites us at a time when the world feels fragmented. According to Bohn, the wolf's transition from stranger to welcome reflects a collective desire for empathy in an age of algorithm-driven division.
The viral trajectory of advertising shows no signs of slowing down.
On social platforms from Europe to the US, viewers are sharing subtitled versions, posting reviews and, in some cases, saying they wish The Loveless Ones were a full-length feature film rather than a two-minute commercial.
For supermarket advertising in 2025, this is a rare kind of impact, suggesting a desire not only for spectacle but also for stories that still seem handmade.
“It’s not really about the food,” said Maite Orcasberro, deputy managing director of Romance. “It's about being understood.”
