Coca-Cola's "Holidays Are Coming" ad campaign has been a nostalgic way to mark the beginning of the Christmas season for many years. The advertisement the company made this year, however, has sparked debate. Many have referred to the company's new Christmas advertisement made with Artificial Intelligence as a "creepy dystopian nightmare." The 15-second spot, which honors Coca-Cola's classic 1995 "Holidays Are Coming" advertisement, features a fleet of bright red trucks carrying Coca-Cola bottles to a town decked up in holiday decorations as they drive along a snow-covered road. At the bottom of the screen, a small disclaimer reads: “Created by Real Magic AI,” mentioning the use of the company's own AI software. Watch the commercial: Coca-Cola has used AI for their upcoming Christmas ad. This is a game-changer for generative AI. pic.twitter.com/TrdHOCvd8f — TechHalla (@techhalla) November 15, 2024 The commercial has sparked a debate with many viewers criticising the ad saying it lacks spirit and creativity. Some have even slammed the campaign as “ugly,” and “lazy,” expressing their disappointment with the direction the brand has taken. One user on X expressed disbelief, saying, “I just watched an AI-generated Coca-Cola commercial on TV… how is this even allowed to happen?” Another user wrote, “I feel like I’m watching the death of art and our planet unfold in front of my eyes and no one IRL seems to care.” Another person commented, “Cool. Coca-cola might be the closest product to be made completely with AI: artificial ingredients.” On the other hand, some saw this as the dawn of a new era in advertising. One person pointed out, “Probably a fraction of the cost, it is what it is. In the future ‘human made’ items will be an expensive niche market.” “100% game changer. A lot of naysayers and a lot of negative people out there in social land… but the truth is AI is not a magic bullet it’s just a tool for creative humans to embrace and unleash their vision,” wrote another user. Jason Zada, founder of AI studio Secret Level, Coca-Cola's partner on the project, told AdAge that although AI is a big part of the advertisement, the "warmth" comes from a human touch. According to a Daily Mail report, Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola's vice president and worldwide head of generative AI, said, "More than cost, it’s the speed," pointing out that the production time for the ad was cut in half.
