Coca-Cola Revamps ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Ads With AI-Driven Makeover, Faces Backlash

Coca-Cola has unveiled its new AI-generated 'Holidays Are Coming' campaign, marking another step in its ongoing experiment with advertisements after the company drew criticism from creative professionals over the same last year.

The 60-second ad begins with Santa Claus opening a bottle of Coke. It then follows the brand’s famous red trucks as they light up the night and catch the attention of animals like polar bears, penguins, puppies and rabbits along the way.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, this year’s commercials bring a noticeable upgrade compared to 2024. The truck wheels move convincingly, replacing last year’s awkward gliding effect, while the expressionless human figures of 2024 have been dropped altogether. In their place, Coca-Cola leans into a more whimsical mix of animated animals and glowing festive visuals.

Watch the ad here:

The campaign, which spans around 140 countries, comprises two AI-generated commercials created by Silverside and Secret Level studios. Though Coca-Cola declined to disclose production costs, chief marketing officer Manolo Arroyo highlighted the efficiency of using AI. “Before, when we were doing the shooting and all the standard processes for a project, we would start a year in advance. Now, you can get it done in around a month,” WSJ quoted Arroyo as saying.

Coca-Cola joins a growing list of advertisers embracing generative AI due to cost efficiency and speed. This shift has, however, sparked criticism from within the creative community. Animator and writer Alex Hirsch, reacting to last year’s campaign, said that Coca-Cola is “red because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artistes.”

While some brands like Aerie have publicly rejected AI in their marketing, a January survey by research firm Attest found that 46% of consumers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia still disapprove of the use of AI in ad campaigns.

Industry data indicates growing adoption nonetheless. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that 30% of connected-TV, social and online video ads this year have incorporated generative AI tools.

In a behind-the-scenes film, Coca-Cola showcased a “team of artistes” who work “frame-by-frame, often pixel-by-pixel” to refine AI-generated imagery. “The core of this, the engine of this, is human storytellers,” Arroyo said, according to WSJ.