To promote its latest product launch, Apple—one of the world's largest technology companies—picked up the needle and thread.
In an era flooded with AI-generated “food waste content,” AI agents with eerie smiles, and deepfakes that make it harder than ever to distinguish truth from fiction, human craftsmanship itself may become a selling point. Showing that something was made by hand allows a brand to convey care, creativity, and attention to detail. The effort invested in the process—and even the small imperfections that reveal human touch—can become part of the appeal, making the brand more worthy of a premium price.
Preliminary evidence suggests this approach is effective. A study conducted by Ipsos in collaboration with Syracuse University tested 20 advertisements on a sample of 3,000 U.S. consumers and found that human-created ads outperformed AI-generated alternatives by an average of 14% in predicting short-term sales performance and by an average of 17% in long-term brand health.
“Over time, human-made products may become increasingly like a luxury,” said Stijn van Osselaer, a marketing professor at Cornell University who studies how consumers form connections with the people behind products, in Fortune magazine.
At Apple’s October 13 “Welcome Home” event, this human touch was embodied by Maricar, twin sisters from Sydney, who hand-embroidered Apple’s iconic 1977 rainbow logo. Rather than simply showing a photo of the finished piece, Apple released a video demonstrating how the familiar design—from the bitten apple to the leaves—was meticulously stitched by hand.
Apple’s advertisements haven’t always been so nuanced. In 2024, the company promoted its slim new iPad Pro by using a hydraulic press to crush musical instruments, cameras, and other creative tools, sparking strong backlash and prompting an apology. That same year, Apple also pulled an ad filmed in Thailand after criticism over its reliance on stereotypical portrayals of the country. In 2025, Apple removed “The Parent Presentation”—a video teaching students how to persuade their parents to buy a Mac—though the reason for its removal remains unclear.
Instead of letting AI-generated images flood streets and Instagram feeds, Apple’s recent campaign has brought human craftsmanship to the forefront. The embroidery ads continue Apple’s stop-motion animation campaigns for the Mac mini and Apple Games, which similarly chose to showcase the human effort behind the animation.
Neither Apple nor the Mar token issuer r/Maricar responded to Fortune's request for comment.
The person behind the picture
The appeal of human craftsmanship lies not only in the appreciation of how many hours went into creating a piece.
“What truly matters to people is feeling connected to others,” said Van Osselaer.
To illustrate this connection, he mentioned the scenario from 200 years ago of buying shoes from a cobbler in a village. The customer would discuss their needs with the shoemaker and then return to pick up a pair of shoes made specifically for them. The shoes were no longer just an object—they continued to carry a connection to the maker even after the customer left the shop.
In contrast, advertisements do not build the same kind of relationship, but showcasing the artist and their creative process makes the people behind the company’s marketing visible. Behind-the-scenes work highlights the skill and attention to detail involved.
This distinction is important for Van Osselaer’s ongoing research. A working paper he is co-authoring with colleagues shows that people prefer human-created content, which may reflect appreciation for the creator rather than merely aversion to competing technologies.
“We found that people aren’t rejecting algorithms—they’re appreciating humans,” he said. “People enjoy things made by humans.”
In a study published in the Journal of Business Research by Dan Rice of Louisiana State University and Ripinka Patil of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, participants viewed the same AI-generated advertisements, some with AI disclosure labels and others without. The labels led viewers to perceive less effort behind the ads, reducing their willingness to engage with the brand and lowering their evaluations of product quality.
“The finished ad doesn’t need to look different at all,” Rice told Fortune. “Even if the image looks identical, just seeing the word ‘AI’ makes consumers highly sensitive to the production process.”
For Apple, showcasing the time-consuming motions in embroidery or stop-motion animation turns the production process itself into part of the advertisement. Embroidery isn’t a technological breakthrough, but watching someone complete it draws attention to the human labor that might otherwise disappear in the final image.
“Visible traces of human effort convey care, craftsmanship, and attention to detail,” Rice said. “These ideas extend to broader brand perception.”
This human touch has not gone unnoticed by the audience. One Instagram user commented under the video: “In the world of AI, I love that you still focus on humanity.” Another expressed delight at still seeing human craftsmanship in 2026, writing: “I really enjoy seeing this.”
This doesn’t mean every brand should pick up a needle and thread. Rice and Patel found that when participants were shown information highlighting human involvement in AI production, the negative perceptions of AI were stronger; when the information emphasized automated production, these negative perceptions were reduced. In other words, the production method must align with the messaging focus. AI may be better suited to narratives emphasizing speed and efficiency, rather than time- and labor-intensive human care.
Can craftsmanship command a premium?
Whether Apple’s embroidered ad will translate into increased device sales is another question. Van Osselaer says the company could test whether highlighting human involvement changes click-through and purchase rates.
“These effects may be small because it’s about the advertisement itself,” he said, “not the product.”
He believes that if a product is handmade, its potential is greater. To illustrate this appeal, he describes a scenario: traveling specifically to Maine to build a wooden canoe with a master craftsman. Of course, buyers could simply purchase a ready-made boat, but the experience of creating it alongside the maker offers far more than just the finished product.
As AI-generated alternatives become more widespread, Van Osselaer believes that human-created works may increasingly command a premium.
“I can imagine companies starting to write on their ads or products things like ‘handmade by humans,’” he said.
He also proposed a hypothetical rewrite of Apple's familiar slogan.
Built by humans from Wisconsin.