March 30, 2026
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Aerie Recruits Pamela Anderson To Highlight No-AI Models Promise
American Eagle’s Aerie banner has recruited former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson to broadcast the lifestyle brand’s pledge to “always keep it 100% real: no AI-generated bodies, no AI-generated people. Ever.”
The veteran celebrity recently returned to the limelight after earning rave reviews for her performance in the 2024 drama “The Last Showgirl,” but has captured even more attention as the poster child for embracing bare-faced beauty after going viral for wearing no makeup at 2023’s Paris Fashion Week. She has since been regularly called out for forgoing makeup as she attends media events, encouraging celebrities like Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Anne Hathaway to showcase their bare-faced looks as well.
In 2014, Aerie earned acclaim for its vow to stop retouching people as part of an “#AerieReal” campaign. Last October, the commitment extended to a “100% Aerie Real” pledge to never use AI-generated bodies or people in marketing.
The campaign’s clip opens with Anderson’s voice delivering prompts to generate a female model, one that is “happier, more joyful” but also “natural.” Following disappointments with a wide range of the artificial results, Anderson encourages the creators to “make them feel real” and the scene shifts to Anderson on a set with real models laughing, hugging flowers, and talking on a landline phone.
“You can’t prompt this,” says Anderson as the video closes.
“Nothing can replace human beings,” the actress told People. “Unless AI wants to start becoming imperfect like human beings, it’ll never have the romance of a performance that’s soulful and fearless. There’s just no way to mimic that because we’re all so different.”
As noted by Vogue, some luxury and fashion labels — including Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Levi’s, Mango, and H&M — have explored the use of generative AI tools for social content and advertising, often citing the moves as a creative exercise. Ariel has reportedly benefited from becoming one of the first fashion brands to embrace an anti-AI stance.
“Since we soft-launched the anti-AI message in October, we’ve seen double-digit growth in brand awareness,” Stacey McCormick, Aerie’s chief marketing officer, told Vogue.
Critics of the use of AI avatars also cite concerns around creative ownership and job losses. Heineken, Dove, and Cadbury have also launched anti-AI campaigns.
AI Could Become Normalized Across Audiovisual, Entertainment-Driven Categories
The use of AI still promises to save significant time and money versus using human models on fashion shoots. Eliminating the need for physical clothing samples offers a sustainability benefit. Similar to how computer-generated imagery (CGI) has revolutionized film-making to bring us “Toy Story,” “Avatar,” and “Jurassic Park,” AI may also bring more creative approaches to campaigns.
In a column for The Business of Fashion, Cathaleen Chen questions whether luxury brands should “stop worrying and learn to love AI imagery.” She notes that artists Andy Warhol and Barbara Kruger “built entire practices on appropriation, lifting and recontextualising familiar images to generate new meaning,” and AI optimally creates “new terrain for exploration.”
She concludes, “That’s not to say that AI imagery doesn’t come with dangers. It does. But it’s not whether a fashion brand uses AI — but how — that matters most.”
BrainTrust
Tom Ryan
Managing Editor, RetailWire
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Discussion Questions
Do you see more pros than cons to fashion brands pledging not to use AI models in advertising?
Will the benefits of the technology likely lead the fashion industry to strongly embrace AI models in coming years?
Poll
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At issue here is why a celebirty is used in the first place; specificly, does the mere fact that they’re a real person have value in itself? It very well may, if we believe that people don’t want to see AI generated content.
But that merely leads us to this specific real person: I’m not at all sure Ms. Anderson – someone who is likely more recognizeable to the target audience’s parents – if not grandparents – is the right choice.
Aerie’s decision to spotlight a “no AI models” pledge reflects a growing tension in fashion between technological efficiency and brand trust. The company recently expanded its long-standing “100% Aerie Real” positioning by committing to never use AI-generated bodies or people in its marketing, and recruited Pamela Anderson to highlight authenticity and natural representation. The campaign emphasizes that AI cannot replicate “real, unaltered representation,” and the brand reports that its authenticity-focused messaging has already driven double-digit awareness gains and a 23% sales lift in late 2025.
From a brand perspective, the upside of pledging not to use AI models is clear: trust takes years to earn and can be lost in minutes. Fashion is particularly sensitive to authenticity because consumers want to see relatable people wearing real clothing in realistic settings. Research supports this concern—studies show consumers often view AI-generated models as less credible and less trustworthy, which can reduce purchase intent and damage brand perception. In that context, Aerie’s approach is less about resisting technology and more about protecting emotional connection and brand equity.
At the same time, AI will almost certainly become a critical tool behind the scenes. AI can reduce costs, accelerate campaign production, and enable new creative approaches—benefits that will likely drive adoption across the fashion industry over time. However, the distinction between using AI as a tool versus replacing real people is important. Many consumers may accept AI for planning, personalization, or content optimization, but they may be far less forgiving when AI replaces human models—particularly in a category built on identity, relatability, and self-expression.
Ultimately, the most likely outcome is a hybrid approach. AI will become deeply embedded in fashion operations, but brands that maintain authentic, human-centered storytelling may hold a trust advantage. For fashion brands especially, the risk is not the use of AI itself—it’s using it in ways that undermine authenticity. And in a category where emotional connection drives purchasing decisions, that’s a risk many brands may decide is not worth taking.
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At issue here is why a celebirty is used in the first place; specificly, does the mere fact that they’re a real person have value in itself? It very well may, if we believe that people don’t want to see AI generated content.
But that merely leads us to this specific real person: I’m not at all sure Ms. Anderson – someone who is likely more recognizeable to the target audience’s parents – if not grandparents – is the right choice.
Aerie’s decision to spotlight a “no AI models” pledge reflects a growing tension in fashion between technological efficiency and brand trust. The company recently expanded its long-standing “100% Aerie Real” positioning by committing to never use AI-generated bodies or people in its marketing, and recruited Pamela Anderson to highlight authenticity and natural representation. The campaign emphasizes that AI cannot replicate “real, unaltered representation,” and the brand reports that its authenticity-focused messaging has already driven double-digit awareness gains and a 23% sales lift in late 2025.
From a brand perspective, the upside of pledging not to use AI models is clear: trust takes years to earn and can be lost in minutes. Fashion is particularly sensitive to authenticity because consumers want to see relatable people wearing real clothing in realistic settings. Research supports this concern—studies show consumers often view AI-generated models as less credible and less trustworthy, which can reduce purchase intent and damage brand perception. In that context, Aerie’s approach is less about resisting technology and more about protecting emotional connection and brand equity.
At the same time, AI will almost certainly become a critical tool behind the scenes. AI can reduce costs, accelerate campaign production, and enable new creative approaches—benefits that will likely drive adoption across the fashion industry over time. However, the distinction between using AI as a tool versus replacing real people is important. Many consumers may accept AI for planning, personalization, or content optimization, but they may be far less forgiving when AI replaces human models—particularly in a category built on identity, relatability, and self-expression.
Ultimately, the most likely outcome is a hybrid approach. AI will become deeply embedded in fashion operations, but brands that maintain authentic, human-centered storytelling may hold a trust advantage. For fashion brands especially, the risk is not the use of AI itself—it’s using it in ways that undermine authenticity. And in a category where emotional connection drives purchasing decisions, that’s a risk many brands may decide is not worth taking.