Looks Like Etsy's All About 'Keeping Commerce Human'

“What does a robot know about love?” asks the voiceover in Etsy’s latest spot, “Human Performance.”

Answer: Nothing. They know nothing about love, or the joy of someone creating a table from a piece of wood, or jewelry from a sheet of metal.

“The fingerprints we leave behind show how determined we are to give the world a piece of ourselves,” the ad says, showing a robotic hand destroyed amid flying confetti and the kicker: “Keep Commerce Human.”

A complete 180 from this infamous Apple ad, wouldn’t you say, flesh-and-blood readers?

The work, running during the upcoming Paris Olympics, is part of a bigger brand message, one that puts creativity first by highlighting people and the businesses developing unique, small-batch items found on Etsy. Social media clips, coupled with jumbo billboards in NYC and London, feature the faces behind Etsy shops and tell their stories.

“In an increasingly automated world, Etsy stands for something different,” says David Kolbusz, CCO of Orchard, which created the spot. “Their sellers aren’t just filling orders, they’re conjuring magic from their fingertips and channeling their talents into the creation of objects you can touch and keep.”

“Our film isn’t anti-tech, it’s pro-human. It’s a reminder that the things that arrive on your doorstep can come from someplace more meaningful than a fulfillment center.”