Coca-Cola’s latest Christmas advertisement has sparked a wave of unease, marking the second year the company has turned to artificial intelligence for its festive campaign. While other brands aim for heartwarming nostalgia, Coca-Cola’s offering feels…different, leaving many viewers distinctly chilled.
The one-minute advert depicts a classically festive scene: a Coca-Cola truck winding its way through a snow-covered, brightly lit landscape. Animated animals – polar bears, penguins, squirrels, and even a sloth – react with delight as the truck passes, triggering a cascade of twinkling Christmas lights.
At the heart of the scene is an AI-generated Santa, a detail that seems to amplify the growing discomfort surrounding the ad. The entire spectacle, while visually polished, feels strangely hollow, a manufactured echo of Christmas cheer.
Viewers haven’t been shy about voicing their disappointment. Online comments decry the ad as “creative bankruptcy” and a symbol of “how creativity dies.” Many lament the loss of genuine artistry, remembering a time when commercials were crafted by human hands with heartfelt intention.
The criticism isn’t new. Last year’s AI-generated Coca-Cola Christmas ad faced similar backlash, yet the company appears to have doubled down on the strategy. This year’s campaign isn’t a course correction, but a further exploration of AI’s potential in advertising.
Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola’s global vice president and head of generative AI, defends the approach, calling last year’s ad a “global milestone.” He frames AI not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a “superpower” for execution and production, enabling the previously impossible.
Despite assurances that creative direction remains “human-led,” the overwhelming sentiment is that something vital is missing. The ad, intended to evoke the spirit of the holidays, instead feels like a stark reminder of the increasing influence of artificial intelligence in our culture.
While the background singers are real, the core of the advertisement is undeniably synthetic, leaving many to question whether a truly authentic Christmas feeling can be manufactured by an algorithm.
