Coca-Cola is doubling down on using artificial intelligence in its festive annual ad, despite backlash over the move a year ago.
Last November, outraged buyers accused the soft drink company of displacing artists and killing joyful Christmas aesthetics by using generative AI in its recreation of its iconic “Holidays are Coming” spot. The eerily smooth video, set to music from the original 1955 commercial, featured trucks with wheels that did not glide and uncanny-looking people.
Now, Coke executives are determined to succeed this year — with the same concept made by the same studio, Secret Level. There were also two other versions of the ad: another AI one with the studio Silverside, and a traditionally shot one without the animals that will air in some Latin markets.
“Last year we set a global milestone with the world’s first entirely GenAI-created film on broadcast media — a bold leap that broke new ground,” Pratik Thakar, global vice president and head of generative AI at Coca-Cola, said in a press release. “This year’s campaign is another proof point in our journey of emerging technology to rethink how we create and scale content.”
Like years past, the beloved ad features Coca-Cola trucks driving through snow across the world to bring Coke products to customers during the holiday season. But this time, the ad features animals instead of humans: polar bears, seals, squirrels and more animals are shown watching the trucks travel across the globe.
The only person shown in the ad, released Monday, is Santa Claus, who is based on the company’s original drawings. At the end of the ad, Santa swings open the truck door and is seen drinking a Coke and waving.
While Coca-Cola previously came under fire last year for not hiring a real actor to play Santa, the company preemptively combatted the argument by pointing out that they hired real performers to sing the music for the videos.
“We’re committed to using AI as a human enabler, where it makes sense,” Thakar said. “Creative ambition, direction and thought leadership has and always will be human-led. AI is a superpower when it comes to execution and production, making what was previously impossible possible.”
Despite the evolving technology and Coca-Cola’s confidence that the response will be different from last year, the ads have already received negative reactions.
“A year of AI development later and it still looks terrible,” one person slammed in the YouTube comments of the ad. Another wrote, “It’s extremely disappointing to see a company of your size relying on AI to produce commercial videos.”
However, others were more optimistic about the developments.
“Just because this ad was generated using AI doesn't make it unoriginal or slop,” one defended under the video. “This ad was concepted, ideated, scripted and produced by a team of creative professionals using the latest tool in their box, GenAI. The process would be the same with 3D animators and After Effects, but GenAI allowed the creators to ideate and concept faster and eventually create something new and memorable. Embrace this as just another way to express yourself.”
Another added, “You can finally say its Christmas when the Coca Cola advert comes on.”
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