A horse, a sofa, and zero artificial intelligence. A new Hermès ad has the internet divided.

A new ad for luxury fashion house Hermès, directed by Tom Emmerson, has appeared online. The clip humorously references the brand's iconic logo, but not everyone was pleased...

The latest Hermès ad, created in collaboration with director Tom Emmerson , is available online.

The English-French creator, who, in addition to creating materials for the French fashion house, can also boast of collaborating with brands such as Adidas Originals , House of Errors and New Balance , is known for his sense of humor and bold yet effective ideas.

This time, he approached his task creatively and interpreted the original Hermes logo in an abstract way . How did it turn out? Some are delighted, others think the director went too far.

Tom Emmerson Creates New Hermes Ad. Photo: Henry Chen / Unsplash

"Everyone knows what a horse is like" ... Or maybe not entirely? In the new Hermès ad, model Alexis Maçon-Dauxerre is seen in an absurd scene of "conversation" with the animal. It points its head in a specific direction, and the man guesses whether it's referring to a tray with a picture of another horse , a blanket , or... a sofa .

In the next scene, we see a horse pulling a carriage, which was actually the sofa mentioned earlier. It's an obvious, yet rather amusing, reference to the fashion house's logo, created in 1945. How did the audience react to the new ad? In this case, the somewhat worn-out slogan, "The Internet is divided," fits perfectly.

Some viewers are delighted with Emmerson's creativity and unconventional approach to marketing. The director is also praised for not using artificial intelligence in the video, as confirmed by behind-the-scenes footage. Some commenters even believe the horse featured in the ad should win an Oscar !

And here we come to the arguments of the opposing side. Some people believe that the creators needlessly exploited and tortured an animal to create a commercial project.

" Animals aren't machines or toys. Why do this? This image isn't pretty. It looks like a first-year film school project," reads one comment.

It is worth recalling that the famous brand logo was created in 1945, and was inspired by a drawing by Alfred de Dreux , which Émile-Maurice Hermès , the grandson of the company's founder, bought in the 1920s.

Logo of the Hermes fashion house Photo. yuriyt / Shutterstock

What are the horse and carriage doing in the logo of a brand now known primarily for luxury handbags like the Birkin , Kelly , and Constance ? It was meant to symbolize the pursuit of perfection and elegance of equestrian clubs , but above all, to remind us of the company's origins. After all, before Émile-Maurice introduced the first clothing collection at Hermès , the company was known for selling equestrian accessories , such as saddles and harnesses .

Hermes advertisement from 1923. Photo: Author unknown / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 (Public domain)