When AI Ruined Christmas
For nearly three decades, Coca-Cola’s holiday commercials have been synonymous with festive cheer. Who doesn’t recall the glowing red trucks rolling through snowy landscapes, signaling that the holidays were indeed coming? This year, however, Coca-Cola stirred the pot by leveraging generative artificial intelligence to reimagine its iconic 1995 “Holidays Are Coming” campaign. The result? A polarizing reaction that raised more questions than glasses of cola.
At first glance, the ad is visually polished, brimming with the hallmarks of a holiday commercial: twinkling lights, wintry scenes, and cheerful characters. But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the human figures populating this festive landscape weren’t human at all—they were entirely AI-generated. The uncanny valley struck again, leaving many viewers unsettled. Social media quickly lit up with criticism, calling the ad "lifeless" and “creepy,” with some even accusing Coca-Cola of taking the soul out of Christmas.
This isn’t the first time a brand has dipped its toes into AI-generated marketing. Earlier this year, Toys "R" Us created a commercial in partnership with OpenAI’s software, touting how AI streamlined their production process. While the campaign boasted efficiency, it drew similar feedback about lacking a genuine, human touch. Even Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell and KFC, is testing AI-generated promotional emails designed to personalize customer experiences. Across the board, brands appear eager to experiment with AI, chasing promises of speed, cost savings, and tailored messaging.
So, why are we seeing this AI invasion in advertising? The answer, quite simply, is efficiency. Generative AI allows brands to produce more content in less time, often at a fraction of the cost. For businesses, this is a no-brainer. But for consumers, the value equation isn’t so clear. While efficiency benefits the bottom line, it sometimes comes at the expense of authenticity—a quality particularly vital during the holiday season, when emotional resonance is everything.
Coca-Cola’s experiment underscores a larger debate about the role of AI in creative fields. Can a machine truly replicate the warmth and charm of human storytelling? Critics of the ad seem to think not. The artificial humans in the commercial were perceived as hollow, lacking the charisma that real actors bring to the screen. Even though the brand has used non-human icons before (hello, polar bears), the AI-generated characters felt off, an eerie reminder of the limitations of current technology.
Interestingly, while the backlash was loud, it’s unlikely to dent Coca-Cola’s dominance. After all, brand loyalty runs deep, and most people are more concerned with what’s inside the bottle than who—or what—created the commercial. But the experiment does serve as a cautionary tale for companies eager to embrace AI without fully understanding how it might be received. The question isn’t just whether AI can create something, but whether it *should*, especially when the stakes involve beloved traditions.
As we inch closer to an AI-saturated future, Coca-Cola’s ad might be remembered as a pivotal moment—a test case for how much humanity we’re willing to trade for technological efficiency—a taste of what is to come. For now, it’s a reminder that while AI can churn out content, it’s the human connection that truly makes it sparkle, especially during what is billed as the most wonderful time of the year.
