While some companies are keen to let people know that they are categorically against using AI in their advertising, The Coca-Cola Company has faced a new wave of backlash for using an AI-generated Christmas ad for a second year running, and is very proud to have done so. Sharing this year’s revamped festive ad, Coca-Cola flew in the face of criticism by boldly claiming that this kind of AI advertising is the future.
In the main, the advert put out by Coca-Cola each year features very little changes year-on-year. This one is no exception, but it does contain a lot more AI-generated images, including cuddly humanoid animals, roads that change from scene to scene for no real reason, and a very plastic-looking aesthetic that has had the internet sharing all the old adverts from years gone by as a comparison.
A statement on their own website reads, “Coca‑Cola’s 2025 holiday campaign celebrates behind-the-scenes givers with heartwarming films and innovative AI-powered storytelling, inspiring authentic connections and festive joy.”
The site goes on to say that the 2025 campaign includes “AI-driven reimaginings of a classic Coca‑Cola holiday spot.” They follow up by saying, “The brand’s use of AI technology enhances creative storytelling while keeping human creativity at the core.” This is something many people are disagreeing with, other than those behind the campaign, of course.
“Leveraging advanced GenAI tools, we controlled every cinematic detail, from camera angles to physics-driven realism, with intuitive visual annotations mimicking a director’s workflow,” said Pratik Thakar, Global Vice President & Head of Generative AI. “Most revolutionary is our seamless narrative continuity and character consistency, crafting immersive stories that resonate deeply. This is more than filmmaking — it’s a transformational leap into the future of creativity and technology.”
“Last year we set a global milestone with the world’s first entirely GenAI-created film on broadcast media—a bold leap that broke new ground,” Thakar said. “This year’s campaign is another proof point in our journey of emerging technology to rethink how we create and scale content.”
https://x.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1985470088074375344
If there is one thing that can cause instant arguments, then AI is very quickly becoming a top topic. Pumping AI-generated images into a long-standing, nostalgic annual event like the release of the Coca-Cola ad is therefore going to escalate that to a whole new level of annoyance.
“It looks good, but [not going to lie] the way it feels so different, I feel the essence of Christmas is not there,” said one user on X. Another was less genial on the matter, fuming, “This is disgusting. You’re a multi-BILLION dollar company. Pay REAL animators. This is disgusting.” Someone else suggested a bit of company rivalry should be undertaken, adding, “It would be a missed opportunity for Pepsi to capitalize on this and make some sort of jab that their holiday ads aren’t AI generated.”
In the end, AI is not going anywhere. That is a given, but as it continues to become a big part of advertising, movies, and TV shows, the noise around the technology being used to save the cost of having people working behind the scenes is not going away either. Where a happy medium is found is yet to be seen.
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