Coca-Cola releases AI-generated "Holidays Are Coming" ad second time in a row despite backlash

Coca-Cola has released its annual Christmas ad for the "Holidays Are Coming" campaign and despite receiving backlash for last year's AI generated ad, the company appears to have doubled down on its efforts, collaborating with San Francisco-based studios Secret Level and Silverside AI, to create a similar film for the second time.

“The holidays are here, so grab a Coca-Cola and spread the cheer!” said the accompanying caption under the Youtube video.

The company reportedly used even fewer people than last year to create the ad, stating," We need to keep moving forward and pushing the envelope," and that," The genie is out of the bottle, and you're not going to put it back in".

Just as last year however, the ad and the company's messaging remain unpopular among social media users who are wary of "soulless" AI-generated art's potential risks.

One user called it a “sloppy eyesore,” while another said that Coca-Cola should use its massive budget to "hire artists to make an ad that feels like it has SOME semblance of a soul". Others used phrases like "absolutely shameful" and "ugly as sh*t" to describe the ad.

On the other hand, executives like Pratik Thakar, Global Vice President & Head of Generative AI at Coca-Cola said, "This is more than filmmaking — it’s a transformational leap into the future of creativity and technology", while Secret Level founder Jason Zada said that his team was "incredibly proud" to "bring magic across the globe" with the ad.