Coca‑Cola is continuing its AI-generated Christmas advertising in its new global campaign via WPP Open X and led by VML.
The brand collaborated with San Francisco-based studios Secret Level and Silverside AI, which also worked on the Christmas truck 2024 campaign.
Despite an enhancement in AI technology, industry experts say the campaign continues to fall flat.
Independent creative Adrian Elton said the campaign feels like a low-res effort of campaign production with generative AI.
“I'm very much an AI forward creative, but that's fundamentally borne of the fact that I haven't had the luxury of Hollywood budgets to bring ambitious concepts to life,” Elton told AdNews.
“All that this new campaign seems to reinforce is that Coke's main ingredient is cheese.
“And while a TV ad made from generative AI may have still been a technically astonishing feat one year ago - a year later, at a time when any punter can effortlessly generate photo realistic videos of cats aiming rocket launchers at sleeping dogs - it really feels like a lo-res effort, even if the fidelity has increased 16K-fold.”
Elton said the biggest issue with the campaign is the lack of an idea.
“And while I understand that it's the second re-exploration of the 1995 original Coke 'Caravans' spot, that kinds of makes it even more lazy,” he said.
“There are some 'nice' cinematic moments, like when Santa sets the toy truck down onto the toytown street at the beginning of the sequence, the reality of the original filmed performances from 1995 feel so much more satisfying.
“As the imagery becomes ever more hyper-real, there is a flattening of the non-existent narrative arc. Coke trucks about to arrive. Super cute animals be super happy when Coke trucks arrive. It's basically just last's year's rehash, with better fidelity and less DEI.
"There is no storytelling tension or angle. Just the mistaken conviction that ten layers of icing balanced precariously atop a single crumb makes the plum pudding.”
Last year's Christmas campaign was criticised by industry experts for its lack of human oversight.
Michael Klaehn, discipline lead at QUT College, told AdNews earlier this year that Coca-Cola’s Christmas ad showcases both the potential and pitfalls of using AI in creative campaigns.
“On the positive side, AI can be an excellent tool for generating ideas, images, and videos, adding innovation and efficiency to the creative process,” he told AdNews.
“However, this TVC highlights what can go wrong when AI-generated content lacks proper oversight.”
Coca-Cola's newest campaign is anchored by three new films: a ‘A Holiday Memory’ and two AI-driven reimagination's of the classic 1995 Coca‑Cola spot, ‘The Holidays are Coming.’
‘A Holiday Memory’, which will air in North America, Latin America and Asia South-Pacific, shows a busy mother preparing for the holidays.
“Building on last year's campaign, this creative truly embodies our commitment to inspiring the ‘Real Magic’ of authentic human connection during the holiday season,” said Coca-Cola global vice president creative strategy & content, Islam ElDessouky.
“We’re saluting people around the world whose generous acts of goodwill help make Christmas the most special time of year and rewarding them with the refreshment and uplift only Coca‑Cola can deliver.”
The Coca‑Cola Caravans and Truck Tour will make its return in November and December, delivering immersive experiences in communities around the world.
The fully integrated campaign also will feature out-of-home creative, in-store merchandising and more.
“We consistently hear that consumers around the world don’t feel it’s Christmas time until they see the timely and timeless Coca‑Cola advertising they know and love,” ElDessouky said.
“While our expression changes year after year, the fundamentals stay the same. Because what people truly desire is the authentic, genuinely touching storytelling that makes Coca‑Cola special.
“We were very conscious this year about placing the product at the heart of the creative, so people continue to fall in love with both the beverage and the brand.”
Head of generative AI and global vice president, Pratik Thakar, said that when leveraging advanced GenAI tools, they controlled every cinematic detail, from camera angles to physics-driven realism, with intuitive visual annotations mimicking a director’s workflow.
“Most revolutionary is our seamless narrative continuity and character consistency, crafting immersive stories that resonate deeply,” Thakar said.
“This is more than filmmaking — it’s a transformational leap into the future of creativity and technology."
The music featured in the campaigns was performed and sung by real artists.
“We’re committed to using AI as a human enabler, where it makes sense,” Thakar said.
“Creative ambition, direction and thought leadership has and always will be human-led. AI is a superpower when it comes to execution and production, making what was previously impossible possible.
"Last year we set a global milestone with the world’s first entirely GenAI-created film on broadcast media—a bold leap that broke new ground.
“This year’s campaign is another proof point in our journey of emerging technology to rethink how we create and scale content.”
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