AI-created videos are becoming more prevalent on the internet, and now prominent brands are starting to adopt the phenomenon. Coca-Cola has recently utilized artificial intelligence to “revamp” one of its classic holiday advertisements, though the response on social media has been anything but joyful.
The latest AI-driven video is a reimagining of Coca-Cola’s legendary *”Holidays Are Coming”* advertisement from the 1990s. The original clip showcased a procession of Coca-Cola trucks decorated with Christmas lights, bringing festive cheer as they traveled through a wintery town. This ad featured a catchy jingle that proclaimed, “‘Tis the season, it’s always the real thing.”
This isn’t the first instance of the ad being updated. In 2020, a version was launched in the UK and Ireland that remained faithful to the original idea. Yet, this year, Coca-Cola opted for a new direction by employing AI to produce a fresh take on *”Holidays Are Coming.”*
The concept stays constant: the Coca-Cola trucks arrive to deliver the enchantment of the holiday period. However, this time, the ad incorporates AI-generated components, including creatures like polar bears, which have long been linked with Coca-Cola’s festive marketing. Numerous iterations of the AI-generated ad seem to be circulating online.
As seen with many AI-made videos, the new advertisement possesses an oddly artificial appearance, with some aspects and motions seeming somewhat “off.” Viewers quickly expressed their dissatisfaction on social media.
“This resembles a bad imitation of the usual Coca-Cola Christmas commercial,” commented X user Brenden Gallagher.
Another user, @MoistyJc, shared a more philosophical worry: “I feel like I’m observing the decline of art and our planet unfold before me, and no one in real life appears to care.”
James Vargas-Maclean, another user on X, condemned the ad’s reliance on AI, stating, “With this unsettling AI spot, Coca-Cola can no longer assert ‘It’s always the real thing,'” even urging a boycott of the company.
In spite of the criticism, the ad’s music still claims, “It’s always the real thing,” even as AI-generated Coke bottles flash on the screen.