Camilla Jessen
Coke sparks fresh outrage.
Coca-Cola is once again under fire.
This time it is for releasing an AI-generated version of its 1995 classic “Holidays Are Coming” Christmas advert for the second year in a row, despite intense backlash the first time around.
The ad was created in collaboration with two AI studios to deliver what Coke calls a “refreshed take” that “pushes the boundaries” of storytelling and production.
Public backlash
But viewers aren’t buying it, according to The Sun.
Instead of festive nostalgia, many fans say the spot feels empty and artificial, lacking the warmth of the original.
One commenter on YouTube wrote, “A year of AI development later and it still looks terrible.” Another added, “The best ad I’ve ever seen for Pepsi.”
Critics argue that using AI strips the ad of heart, especially with the absence of Santa Claus, a longtime fixture of Coca-Cola’s holiday campaigns.
“Remember when they paid real animators to make commercials with heart? Now it’s soulless AI,” said one viewer on X.
Despite the backlash, Coca-Cola’s Global VP of Generative AI, Pratik Thakar, defended the approach: “AI is a superpower when it comes to execution and production.”
Chairman and CEO James Quincey previously said AI has allowed the company to create content “faster and cheaper,” producing thousands of digital pieces in real time.
Marketing expert Mara Einstein called the ad “so fake,” arguing that even its efforts at inclusion feel hollow due to the lack of genuine human creativity.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
