Heidi Klum's Beside Her (Much Younger) Self in AI-Powered Push From German Fashion House

Past and present collide, but it's strictly casual

Seeking authenticity, some marketers eschew AI and brag about using practical effects and real people in their ads. But s.Oliver isn’t having any of that.

In fact, the German fashion brand goes in the opposite direction, embracing the algorithm to create a film starring two Heidi Klums.

The legendary model, 53, appears with a twenty-something version of herself, brought to “life” via face-swap technology.

“The story demonstrates in an emotional way that, while much changes, the true casual spirit remains,” says s.Oliver Group CEO Johannes Rellecke. “We are interpreting this idea in a surprising and previously unseen way.”

As for the results … Are they creepy? Somewhat. Convincing? Absolutely. Destined to entertain and provoke a reaction? Check and check!

“Sometimes the strongest ideas are the simplest: Heidi Klum meets Heidi Klum. We’re bringing together defining phases in the life of one of Germany’s greatest pop culture and fashion icons and using her story to retell the s.Oliver story,” says Nicole Grözinger, a CD at Jung von Matt Neckar and creative lead at JVM Beauty Collective, which developed the project.

“AI makes this encounter possible—but for us it remains a means to an end. The key is to use it in a way that makes the creative idea even stronger. In this way, brand heritage becomes not a nostalgic look back, but contemporary storytelling.”

Indeed, the future is now. It wears cute shirts. As long as there’s adequate disclosure about the nature of the workflow, each AI-driven campaign must be evaluated on its own merits. A knee-jerk diss feels so 2023.

Production studio Tempo worked on the s.Oliver film, with Alex Feil directing. British photographer Rankin helped craft the still images.

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