Coca-Cola responds to backlash over AI Christmas ad remake
The cult-drink company have issued a statement after fans slammed its latest advertisement for using a controversial new tech.
Coca-Cola has copped backlash for the second year in a row for using artificial intelligence to recreate an iconic Christmas ad after fans already panned the idea.
The soft drink brand released a new version of its iconic 1995 Holidays are coming advert on November 3.
The ad sees Santa crack open a bottle of Coke and place a toy truck with the brand’s logo on it into Santa’s Village.
The toy truck then takes off, building a life of its own as it drives past polar bears and penguins — which, exist on different hemispheres in reality — before entering the town to adoring fans.
At the bottom of the ad it reads; “Created by Real Magic AI.”
The original 1995 ad featured real trucks and actors.
It’s also the second year in a row that fans have been less than happy with the advertisement created for American audiences.
“The best ad Pepsi never paid for,” one social media user claimed.
Another added: “AI will never beat the humans.”
One social media user added: “Coca-Cola def have a big a** budget but chose to use AI now. The ad looks all over the place and badly stitched together.”
“P*** poor ad to represent a p*** poor product. Keep boycotting Coca-Cola,” another said.
One raged: “As if we needed another reason to continue boycotting Coca-Cola. The ad looks like sh*t btw.”
“Coca-Cola making an ad just as bland as their drink,” one said.
Another added: “A Christmas ad that is made by AI is not a Christmas ad. It’s a soulless cash-grabbing husk imitating something actually made with effort and care.”
“How is Coca-Cola, one of the biggest brands on earth, using the worst AI video model ever,” one said.
Pratik Thakar, global vice president and head of generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company, told Mashable that the technology has allowed the company to “enhance” their “films”.
“Last year’s film performed exceptionally well and was a success with customers, which is what matters most to us,” Mr Thakar said.
A similar AI version of the ad aired last year, this time featuring close up of AI-generated people’s faces in matching beanies.
The brand was forced to step in and defend the choice in 2024.
The brand has since defended its use of the controversial technology, stating it was a collaboration between humans and AI.
“The Coca-Cola Company has celebrated a long history of capturing the magic of the holidays in content, film, events, and retail activations for decades around the globe,” the spokesperson said.
“We are always exploring new ways to connect with consumers and experiment with different approaches. This year, we crafted films through a collaboration of human storytellers and the power of generative AI.”
