Fashion campaigns traditionally require concept development, planning, bookings, photography, selection, retouching and adaptation across formats. That can deliver high quality, but it also creates long lead times. By the time a short-lived trend reaches the market, a campaign may already have lost relevance.
In a Reuters interview in May 2025, Matthias Haase, then Vice President Content Solutions at Zalando, described how the company was using generative AI to respond faster. He said image production had moved from six–eight weeks to three–four days and costs had fallen by 90 per cent. Around 70 per cent of Zalando's editorial campaign imagery in the fourth quarter of 2024 was reported to be AI-generated.
Analysis
What changed in the workflow
Start with the bottleneck
Zalando did not use AI simply to create more images. The stated problem was responding to fast-moving fashion trends while they were still relevant.
Shorten the feedback loop
When visual directions can be produced and revised in days rather than weeks, teams can test more options before committing to a campaign.
Retain creative direction
Haase stressed that traditional shoots would still be needed. Creative professionals must continue to set direction, select material and decide whether it fits the brand.
Measure the whole workflow
The useful comparison is not how quickly a tool makes one image, but how lead time, cost, quality work and customer response change from brief to approved material.
Lesson for smaller businesses
How to test the principle on a smaller scale
- Choose a content workflow in which shorter lead time has clear commercial value.
- Record current time, cost and revision rounds before running the pilot.
- Define which product facts, people, rights and brand rules must never be left to unconstrained generation.
- Require a responsible person to approve facts, expression and publication.
- Measure cost per approved asset, not merely the number of drafts produced.
Important perspective
The results were reported by the company
The figures for a 90 per cent cost reduction, a three–four-day production time and 70 per cent AI-generated editorial campaign imagery came from a Zalando representative in Reuters reporting. They are not an independent impact assessment. Zalando later stated on its own partner site that the time required to launch a marketing campaign had fallen from around six weeks to a few days, supporting the direction of the change without replacing independent verification.
Questions and answers
Common questions
Can a smaller business use the same principle?
Yes. Start with a limited, recurring image or content workflow in which the inputs are controlled and the result can be reviewed before publication.
Does the case mean traditional photography can be removed?
No. Zalando said traditional shoots would still be needed. Generative AI primarily changes which steps can be explored and produced faster.
What should a business measure in a pilot?
Measure lead time from brief to approved material, cost, revision rounds, the share of usable variations and relevant customer response.
Sources and method
Verifiable information and clear attribution
The analysis separates Zalando's reported figures, independent editorial reporting and A-Hedin Konsulter's practical interpretation. Generative AI was used as editorial support; facts and source references were checked manually.
- Reuters: Zalando uses AI to speed up marketing campaigns, cut costs
- Zalando Partner: Annual Press Conference 2026