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Coca-Cola’s ‘holidays are coming’ AI ad for Christmas fails to impress the internet: ‘A sloppy eyesore’
Coca-Cola teamed up with a San Francisco-based studio to create the AI ad which has been receiving backlash since its release.
Coca-Cola has dropped its 2025 Christmas ad, and people are not happy. The short film, which was shared on YouTube, was created using artificial intelligence (AI). This marks the second consecutive year that the beverage giant used AI to create its holiday ad.
“The holidays are here, so grab a Coca-Cola and spread the cheer!” the company wrote while sharing a video. The company teamed up with San Francisco-based studios Secret Level and Silverside AI to create the ad.
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As per a blog post by the company, the ad pushes “the boundaries of technical precision, cinematic storytelling and production quality.”
How did social media react?
An individual posted, “I think generative has its uses, especially in organising data, but this looks awful LMAO. Makes Coke look like a cheap and struggling brand.” Another added, “You know the kind of ad that you remember? This isn't one of those.”
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A third called it a “sloppy eyesore,” while a fourth wrote, “One of the world's largest and most influential beverage companies can surely, surely spare a few grand for a competent animated or live-action advertisement. This is just sad. Is this where we are as a society? Is this the best we can do in our century?”
How was the ad created?
“Leveraging advanced GenAI tools, we controlled every cinematic detail, from camera angles to physics-driven realism, with intuitive visual annotations mimicking a director’s workflow,” said Pratik Thakar, Global Vice President & Head of Generative AI. “Most revolutionary is our seamless narrative continuity and character consistency, crafting immersive stories that resonate deeply. This is more than filmmaking — it’s a transformational leap into the future of creativity and technology."
