A short film from French retailer Intermarché is captivating audiences worldwide with its unexpectedly viral Christmas campaign. The 2-minute and 33-second spot, featuring a blend of live action and customary animation, debuted December 5th during the Miss France broadcast and has since garnered over 600 million views-a testament to the continuing power of heartfelt storytelling. Notably, the entirely French-produced ad stands in stark contrast to recent campaigns from major brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, which faced criticism for utilizing artificial intelligence in their holiday marketing.
A heartwarming Christmas tale, told in a 2-minute and 33-second film set to Claude François’ 1974 hit song Le Mal Aimé, is taking the world by storm. The short features live actors alongside animated animals – squirrels, hedgehogs, rabbits, sheep – and centers on a lonely wolf who just wants to be included. The film first aired on December 5 during the Miss France broadcast on TF1, and quickly went viral.
Within hours, the touching story of a carnivore longing for friendship—and finding acceptance through his culinary skills (he makes a quiche for a shared Christmas dinner)—began circling the globe. The campaign is a major win for its sponsor, French retailer Intermarché, whose last holiday-themed ad debuted in 2020. The unexpected success of the ad highlights the power of emotionally resonant storytelling in a crowded media landscape.
The film, created by agency Romance and animated by Illogic Studios, is notable for two key achievements: it’s entirely French-made and was produced without the use of artificial intelligence. “60 to 70 artists worked by hand for six months” on the animation alone, according to Illogic Studios co-founder Théophile Dufresne. The project is a point of national pride, coinciding with another Montpellier-based studio, Sandfall Interactive, winning the “Game of the Year” award in Los Angeles on December 11 for “Clair Obscur Expedition 33” – a first for a French production in the industry.
As of today, the Intermarché film has garnered “more than 500 million contacts,” according to Romance co-founder Christophe Lichtenstein – a metric that encompasses reach, shares, and comments across all social media platforms. The film has also racked up over 600 million views.
The story’s appeal crossed language barriers when an internet user spontaneously translated the film into English, opening it up to a wider audience. “We’ve kind of lost control of the situation,” Lichtenstein joked, adding that streams of Le Mal Aimé on music platforms have increased by more than 400% in just one week.
Thierry Cotillard, head of the Les Mousquetaires group (Intermarché, Netto, Bricomarché, Netto…), believes the film’s message extends beyond simply encouraging dietary variety. He sees it as a plea for unity and social engagement.
“It’s a non-commercial message, intended to create an emotional connection, and a direct contrast to the divisions in our society,” Lichtenstein explained. The film’s triumph is particularly striking given the recent backlash against Coca Cola and McDonald’s for their AI-generated holiday spots – with McDonald’s even pulling its ad due to criticism. The success of the French retailer’s campaign underscores the value of authentic, human-created content. Intermarché is even considering producing a plush toy of the wolf with yellow eyes, following requests from millions of fans, including pilots in the French Navy! “We’re working on it,” Cotillard promised.
