Coca-Cola slammed again for ‘soulless’ AI-generated Christmas ad

On Monday, the company unveiled its new AI-generated ad featuring anthropomorphic animals watching red Coca-Cola trucks as they pass through various locales. The one-minute spot concludes with Santa, the only human character, stepping out of one of the trucks, Forbes reported.

Despite hopes for a better reception than last year’s campaign, it has drawn another wave of negative responses, with many criticizing Coca-Cola for replacing human creativity with AI.

In November 2024, the company released a reimagined version of its classic "The Holidays Are Coming" ad. The new version replaced traditional visuals with AI-generated imagery of animals, people, and objects. The change was met with widespread disapproval from both the creative industry and online audiences, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Screenshot of the ending scene from Coca-Cola's 2025 Christmas ad. Photo courtesy of Coca-Cola

After viewing this year’s ad, a YouTube user commented, "This is how creativity dies. We're in the darkest timeline, aren’t we?" Another remarked, "Remember when they paid real animators to make commercials with heart? Now it’s soulless AI," as reported by Wales Online.

Others echoed similar criticism, with one user labeling the ad "AI slop" and another saying it made Coca-Cola look like a "cheap and struggling" brand. Some even called for a boycott of Coca-Cola products, vowing to switch to Pepsi instead.

Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola’s global vice president and head of generative AI, defended the ad, saying the quality had greatly improved from last year’s production. "Last year people criticized the craftsmanship. But this year the craftsmanship is ten times better," Thakar said. "There will be people who criticize—we cannot keep everyone 100 percent happy. But if the majority of consumers see it in a positive way it’s worth going forward."

Coca-Cola’s Christmas ads have long been associated with warmth and nostalgia, helping define the modern image of Santa Claus. While other companies, including Google, have also used AI-generated ads, Coca-Cola’s campaigns have become central to public discussions about the impact of automation on artistic work.

Jason Zada, founder and chief creative officer of Los Angeles-based AI studio Secret Level, which was hired for the project, argued that social media reactions do not reflect the general audience’s views. "The haters on the internet are the loudest," he said. "A lot of the people complaining last year were from the creative industry who were just afraid — afraid for their jobs, afraid for what it did. But I think the spot tested really well and average people really enjoyed it."