Coca-Cola's AI-generated Christmas ad sparks outrage: Fans say 'festive magic is lost'

Coca-Cola's latest attempt to merge holiday nostalgia with cutting-edge technology has sparked an online uproar. The global beverage giant unveiled an AI-generated Christmas commercial this week, recreating the beloved 1995 "Holidays Are Coming" campaign.

However, instead of evoking holiday cheer, the ad has been slammed as "creepy," "soulless," and "dystopian" by social media users.

The 15-second commercial, produced using Coca-Cola's proprietary "Real Magic AI" software, features entirely AI-generated visuals, including a convoy of festive Coca-Cola trucks arriving in a picturesque, snow-laden town.

While Coca-Cola positioned the campaign as a blend of its brand heritage and technological innovation, many viewers found it devoid of the emotional warmth that typically defines the company's holiday advertising.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) lamented, "The world is so over if the Christmas Coca-Cola advert is made with AI."

Another criticized the lack of human artistry, writing, “Coca-Cola has always been about the magic of Christmas. You killed this magic.”

The sentiment echoed on YouTube, where one viewer called the ad “AI-generated slop” and urged Coca-Cola to reconsider its approach, stating, “Real magic is firing your advertising team for Christmas.” Another comment read, “Sad to see this was made with AI. It feels like the soul of Christmas is missing.”

On the other hand, some supported the ideology and tagged it as a new era in advertising. One user highlighted, "Probably a fraction of the cost, it is what it is. In the future, 'human made' items will be an expensive niche market."

“100% game changer. A lot of naysayers and a lot of negative people out there in social land… but the truth is AI is not a magic bullet it’s just a tool for creative humans to embrace and unleash their vision,” wrote another user.