Coca-Cola stirs up flak for using AI to create Christmas ad

[Coloroscopio]

Santa's delivering some unwanted surprises this Christmas—namely, a festive advertisement by Coca-Cola that's meant to pay tribute to its iconic 1995 Holidays Are Coming commercial. However, instead of warm nostalgia, many viewers felt a chill.

 

Created by studios including Secret Level, Silverside AI, and Wild Card, the spot features red Coca-Cola trucks making their way through snowy streets, along with holiday imagery like bundled-up people holding bottles and festive lights. 

 

Despite the advanced efforts of AI, the final product has been criticized as "soulless" and lacking the genuine warmth of the original.

 

 

Much of the backlash has unfolded on social media, where artists have voiced concerns about AI's role in the creative industry. 

 

  

 

 

Alex Hirsch, the creator of Gravity Falls, even chimed in with a biting comment, suggesting that the beverage brand uses the color red “because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artists!”

 

 

In response, a Coca-Cola spokesperson emphasizes that the company continually aims to be at the forefront of advertising innovation. It added that the ad was the result of combining human creativity with generative AI technology.

 

Jason Zada, founder of Secret Level, one of the AI studios involved, defended the ad by noting that there was still a human element at play, endeavoring to create that sense of "warmth" despite the AI involvement. Zada argued that generating an ad using AI isn’t as simple as pushing a button.

 

 

 

Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola’s vice president and global head of generative AI, explained the practical reasons behind this approach, stating that AI brings significant speed advantages to production, cutting down the time to produce content to a fraction of what it would conventionally require, and opening more doors for customization and tailoring messages to consumers.

 

• https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/coca-cola-causes-controversy-ai-made-ad-rcna180665 
• https://www.today.com/food/trends/coca-cola-ai-generated-holiday-ad-backlash-rcna180647 
• https://nypost.com/2024/11/15/lifestyle/coca-cola-ripped-for-ugly-ai-generated-christmas-commercial-dystopian-nightmare/  
• https://adage.com/article/digital-marketing-ad-tech-news/coca-colas-first-ai-tv-commercials-holidays-christmas/2591886 

 

 

 

Images: Coca-Cola