Coca-Cola is once again harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for its globally recognized "Holidays Are Coming" Christmas campaign, marking a continued and deliberate push into the technologically advanced creative landscape. This year's festive advertisements build upon the company's initial foray into AI-generated content from the previous year, presenting a series of short films that blend the iconic imagery of the Coca-Cola Christmas trucks with fantastical, AI-crafted winter wonderlands. The campaign, a collaboration with AI studios Secret Level, Silverside AI, and Wild Card, aims to evoke the traditional warmth and magic of the holidays through a futuristic lens, but has been met with a mixed reception, sparking a broader conversation about the role of AI in creative expression and advertising. The beverage giant has produced three distinct holiday commercials, each with a unique thematic focus, yet all rooted in the established visual language of its beloved Christmas ads.

The technological underpinnings of the campaign are a showcase of the current capabilities of generative AI in video creation. The production of the three spots, titled "Unexpected Santa," "Secret Santa," and "Silver Santa," involved a suite of AI models, including Leonardo, Luma, Runway, and Kling, with additional models like OpenAI's Sora and Minimax also contributing to the visual tapestry.[1] These tools were instrumental in generating the campaign's immersive and hyper-detailed visuals, from snowy landscapes to festive animals and the iconic Coca-Cola trucks.[1][2] One of the key advantages of this approach, as highlighted by the production, is the ability to create these heartwarming and visually rich scenes without the need for costly and logistically complex live-action filming in snowy locations.[1] This demonstrates how AI can significantly accelerate the production timeline while still allowing for a high degree of creative control and visual ambition. Furthermore, the "Secret Santa" commercial notably features digital actors created with the permission and likeness of real individuals, pointing to a potential new frontier in talent collaboration within AI-driven productions.[1]

While the campaign is a clear step into the future, it is also deeply reverent of Coca-Cola's own storied past. The new AI-generated ads pay direct homage to the classic "Holidays Are Coming" commercials that first aired in 1995 and have since become a cultural touchstone signifying the start of the festive season.[3] The familiar red delivery trucks, adorned with Christmas lights and images of Santa Claus, are a central motif, just as they were in the beloved 90s advertisements.[3] However, this year's iteration introduces a distinctly modern, and at times surreal, aesthetic. The visuals are stunningly vibrant and detailed, but they also possess an otherworldly quality that separates them from their real-world predecessors. In a move that seems to be a direct response to the criticism of the previous year's AI ads, which were faulted for their "uncanny-looking faces," the 2024 campaign places a greater emphasis on animals like polar bears, penguins, and rabbits, sidestepping the challenge of generating convincingly realistic human figures.[4] Technical glitches from the past, such as the gliding appearance of the truck's wheels, have also been addressed, indicating a learning curve and a refinement of the AI tools and techniques employed.[4]

Despite these technical improvements, the campaign has not been without its critics. Upon its release, the series of AI-generated ads sparked a wave of mockery and debate across social media platforms.[3][2] Many viewers expressed a sense of unease, describing the visuals as "deeply uncanny" and lamenting a perceived loss of the "magic" and warmth that characterized the original campaigns.[3][2] Observant internet users were quick to point out subtle visual errors and nonsensical shapes in the background of some scenes, highlighting the persistent imperfections of current generative AI technology.[3] The core of the criticism seems to lie in the belief that while the technology is impressive, it struggles to replicate the genuine human emotion and connection that has been the hallmark of Coca-Cola's holiday advertising for decades.[2] This public reaction has turned Coca-Cola's ambitious marketing experiment into a case study on the delicate balance between technological innovation and the preservation of brand identity and emotional resonance, especially during a time of year so steeped in tradition and nostalgia.[2]

The broader implications of Coca-Cola's continued investment in AI for one of its flagship campaigns are significant for the advertising and creative industries at large. The company's move signals a growing confidence in the capabilities of generative AI, not just as a tool for experimentation, but as a viable and efficient means of producing high-stakes, global advertising content. However, the mixed reception also serves as a cautionary tale. It underscores the ongoing debate about the role of human creativity in an increasingly automated world. Pratik Thakar, the Global Vice President and Head of Generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company, has publicly addressed this tension, appealing to advertising agencies to collaborate with, rather than be replaced by, AI.[4] Thakar's stance is that AI should be viewed as a "powerful force multiplier for creativity," a tool that can empower storytellers to "push boundaries and elevate the creative landscape."[4] He has emphasized that "humans are still superior than the machines," suggesting that the most successful outcomes will result from a symbiotic relationship between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence.[4]

In conclusion, Coca-Cola's 2024 "Holidays Are Coming" campaign is a bold and illuminating chapter in the evolving story of AI in advertising. By once again placing generative AI at the heart of its most cherished seasonal marketing effort, the company has not only showcased the remarkable advancements in the technology but also exposed its current limitations. The campaign's ability to generate visually spectacular and fantastical worlds is undeniable, but its struggle to consistently evoke genuine human emotion highlights a critical challenge for the future of AI-driven creative work. As the advertising industry continues to grapple with the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, Coca-Cola's festive experiment serves as a timely and compelling reminder that while technology can create magic of a certain kind, the human touch remains, for many, an indispensable ingredient, especially when it comes to capturing the true spirit of the holidays.