The Last Coca-Cola in the Desert is Made with AI

For the second year in a row, Coca-Cola has released its Christmas ad made with AI. The video, uploaded on November 3rd to Coca-Cola's official YouTube channel, shows classic Christmas trailers arriving in the city in winter, attracting the attention of all the animals there. On the same day, another video was uploaded explaining the creation process, showing the thousands of videos generated that had to be discarded to arrive at the perfect prompt. 70,000 videos were generated and edited over a 30-day period to create the reel. The audio also explains how the creative process has changed for its designers, and that post-production is now the new pre-production, giving designers more creativity when generating ideas or concepts before production.

The result? Thousands of users outraged by the use of AI in the campaign, many pointing out the lack of emotion and humanity, the inconsistencies in several shots of the reel—from how the trailers suddenly jump from having three pairs of wheels to five, to text that distorts when scrolling—and the absence of real people again in this second campaign. This also led users to suspect that the campaign aimed to avoid the bizarre videos of humans that AI often generates. For some audiences, the use of AI has the opposite effect on these brands; it makes them less appealing.

“I’ve never wanted a Pepsi so badly in my entire life.”

@cuuurlyfries5246 on YouTube

“Even AI voiceover? My God!”

@Terrencepng on Coca-Cola’s Behind the Scenes Video

While it’s true that not everyone can recognize AI-generated content, it’s becoming increasingly common on social media and in campaigns by well-known brands. What does this say about them? It’s undeniable that AI is here to stay. It’s a tool that has opened the doors to generative creativity, streamlining processes, reducing costs, and creating opportunities for what was previously unimaginable. But at the same time, there’s an audience that refuses to consume anything generated with AI. They criticize its environmental impact, the lack of humanity in its “art,” and how predatory it could be for many of the careers that are currently being gradually replaced by AI.

Nothing says Christmas quite like “Dad got fired because AI replaced him to do animation.”

@NaokisRC on YouTube

What would happen if AI content became so perfect that it didn't seem like AI at all? Would the public happily consume it, unaware of its origin? What would be the reason not to consume the generative content that AI offers? Only time will tell.