Levi’s holiday claymation ad takes four hours per second

By Marcus Bennett

How did Levi’s make its 60-second holiday film?

Levi’s says each second of animation in its 60-second holiday advertisement required four hours of filming, a production rate equal to 240 hours across the spot. The brand says handcraft produced the set and characters, and the filming process used no AI.

Levi’s launched “Let’s Get Fuzzy” Nov. 2, two days after Halloween, according to a Nov. 2 press release. The effort spans digital, social and retail channels, while consumers can buy the holiday collection through Levi’s website and app, or at select retail locations. The takeaway is simple: Levi’s wants the labor behind the ad to signal brand value.

What does the “Let’s Get Fuzzy” story show?

According to Levi’s campaign details, the 60-second stop-motion claymation spot opens on friends enjoying a holiday gathering in a remote cabin amid a snow-covered wilderness. A ferocious yeti named Gus tries to break into the cabin, then runs through its wall.

When a character throws him a red sweater in an apparent act of self-defense, it fits perfectly, stops his rampage and earns him a place at the party. The outfits are sculpted versions of pieces from Levi’s holiday collection.

The framing and soundtrack blend holiday imagery with the spooky season, similar to cult classics such as “Dead Snow.” The concept draws on the 30-year-old 1995 ad “Clayman,” which Levi’s calls its first global commercial and first full-length spot shot entirely in claymation.

“Our Levi’s Let’s Get Fuzzy campaign was an opportunity to experiment with immersive and tactile world-building,” Kenny Mitchell, global chief marketing officer at Levi’s, said in a statement. “Anchored by a film created entirely with stop-motion claymation, it’s also the celebration of the craft and human creativity synonymous with the Levi’s brand.” Craft carries the brand message.

Can handmade creative stand out as AI ads multiply?

Dive’s analysis said marketers increasingly use generative AI to cut costs and meet changing cultural demands. It also argued that Levi’s labor-intensive claymation could appeal to the majority of consumers tired of AI-generated advertising, especially in ads. That supports a positioning hypothesis, not a sales forecast; Dive reported no consumer response data or sales forecast for the campaign.

A 2024 NielsenIQ study found consumers routinely describe AI creative as “annoying,” “boring” and often “confusing,” according to Dive. A 2026 Gartner study found half of consumers prefer brands that avoid generative AI in advertising and other forward-facing messaging. Dive said the cost savings and quick turnarounds come at a price.

Dive gave no sample sizes, fieldwork details or effect estimates for either study. It also did not reconcile its “majority” framing with Gartner’s 50% finding. The evidence is directional: handmade production may distinguish the ad, but it does not prove a sales lift.

Where does the campaign fit in the early holiday market?

Dive reported that E.l.f. and Prada also launched handmade holiday campaigns this season. Walmart and Target launched their campaigns before Halloween. Dive said the holiday shopping window keeps moving earlier as consumers hunt for best value under budget pressure.

Dive gave no spending, exact launch dates or performance comparisons for those rival campaigns. The practical point: Levi’s joined a broader handmade-content trend, but timing alone says nothing about commercial results.

What does Levi’s revenue performance mean for marketing?

Parent company Levi Strauss & Co. recently reported third-quarter revenue of $1.6 billion, up 4% year over year. On an earnings call, CEO, president and director Michelle Gass said the company had fewer brand-building moments this year. She said Levi’s back-to-school campaign missed the anticipated demand and traffic.

Gass said the company plans to deepen marketing investment and place more emphasis on mid-funnel marketing. Dive’s report disclosed no campaign budget or target, and no sales result for “Let’s Get Fuzzy.”

The watchpoint is concrete: Levi’s must turn the campaign’s craft appeal into demand and traffic, the two measures Gass said the back-to-school effort missed. The takeaway is simple: commercial proof still lags the production story.