One of this holiday season’s most talked-about campaigns is Coca-Cola’s AI-powered reboot of its classic ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ad.
The ad, created by Silverside AI, was meant to pay homage to the iconic 1995 commercial, which featured similar imagery, but with human actors and real trucks.
The Coke ad creators say AI enhanced the human creativity behind the famous campaign. However, the ad has also faced criticism from artists and creative professionals who argue the technology is not fair to artists and undermines human artistry.
Coca-Cola recreates classic ad with AI | Video Credits: Coca-Cola
Key Points:
Campaign Highlights: Coca-Cola’s holiday campaign includes an AI remake of “Holidays Are Coming,” a Christmas Truck Tour, “The World Needs More Santas” ad, and a digital AI experience that lets people create personalized snow globe animations.
AI in Action: Silverside AI used generative AI platforms including Stable Diffusion, Pactto, DALL-E, ChatGPT, and its own tool Director Magic to produce the ad.
Efficiency and Customization: Thanks to AI, Silverside AI was able to deliver 110 different versions of the spot for the global market, in just a few days, overcoming traditional time constraints.
Challenges with AI: Despite its speed, AI lacks precision in post-production, requiring manual adjustments to meet brand standards, according to Silverside AI.
Backlash from Creatives: Critics argue the ad is “soulless” and highlights concerns about AI replacing human artists and exploiting their work without fair compensation.
Key Quotes:
“The moment you have a process where creatives can immediately see ideas come to life in real time, it transforms the creative process altogether. It’s a revolutionary thing.” – PJ Pereira, Silverside AI
“AI allows us to take great ideas that would have died without the budgets and bring them to life, for multiple ideas to get made, to elevate the level of everything.” – PJ Pereira, Silverside AI
“FUN FACT: @CocaCola is ‘red’ because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artists! #HolidayFactz.” – Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls
“The Coca-Cola Company has celebrated a long history of capturing the magic of the holidays in content, film, events and retail activations for decades around the globe. We are always exploring new ways to connect with consumers and experiment with different approaches. This year, we crafted films through a collaboration of human storytellers and the power of generative AI. Coca-Cola will always remain dedicated to creating the highest level of work at the intersection of human creativity and technology.” – Coca-Cola spokesperson
Coca-Cola’s AI-driven campaign reflects the growing integration of AI in advertising, highlighting its ability to enhance efficiency. However, the backlash underscores a deep divide between embracing innovation and protecting artistic integrity.
The debate signals a need for ethical guidelines in AI usage, particularly regarding compensation and credit for human creators. For brands, balancing technology with authenticity will be crucial to maintaining public trust and artistic credibility.
