The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2024
Coca-Cola replaced its iconic Christmas ad with AI — critics called it 'soulless'
Coca-Cola made 'Holidays Are Coming' entirely with AI. Viewers called it 'soulless,' 'scary,' and 'cheap.' The glitches were the story, not the magic.
Coca-Cola
What happened
In November 2024, Coca-Cola unveiled a new version of its iconic 'Holidays Are Coming' Christmas campaign — generated entirely using AI. The ad replaced the hand-crafted production that had defined the campaign since 1995 with AI-generated trucks, snow scenes, and people.
The backlash was immediate and specific. Consumers described the ad as 'distasteful,' 'scary,' 'soulless,' 'uninspiring,' and 'cheap.' Critics pointed to visible glitches and unsettling aspects of the AI-generated imagery — the people looked wrong, the physics were off, and the warmth that had made the original campaign a holiday fixture was absent. Creative industry voices raised concerns about AI replacing human artists and the environmental cost of AI generation.
Coca-Cola defended the ad. A spokesperson told The Independent the AI approach 'demonstrates Coca-Cola's commitment to embracing innovation' and 'staying true to its core values: spreading happiness and creating real magic.' The audience did not see magic — they saw the glitches.
Why it happened
- The original was craft: 'Holidays Are Coming' had been hand-made for 30 years — replacing the craft with AI was not innovation to the audience, it was a cost-cutting measure dressed as progress.
- The glitches were visible: AI-generated people and physics produced 'unsettling' imagery — the uncanny valley effect turned a warm holiday ad into something viewers found 'scary.'
- The defense was the problem: calling AI 'real magic' while the audience saw glitches told viewers their perception did not matter — the brand's framing was the opposite of the audience's experience.
- The creative industry backlash compounded it: replacing human artists with AI during a strike era made the ad a flashpoint — the environmental cost of AI generation added a second critique layer.
The lesson
When a 30-year holiday tradition defined by human craft is replaced with AI, the warmth is the first casualty. 'Real magic' is not what glitches look like to the audience.
Sources
- Yahoo News / The Independent — 'Why Coca-Cola is facing backlash over its AI-generated Christmas ad', 2024-11
- Marketing Interactive — 'Coca-Cola's AI-generated holiday ad; Jaguar rebrand', 2024-11
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