Coca-Cola continues its AI experiments in Christmas communications. The current commercial is an AI reinterpretation of the classic “Holidays Are Coming” motif from 1995: bright trucks, winter landscapes, Christmas spirit. Instead of real footage, however, key scenes are generated by AI.
The campaign was produced in collaboration with Silverside AI, Secret Level und Wildcard. According to reports, tools such as OpenAI Sora, Google Veo 3, and Luma AI were used to generate tens of thousands of clips, which were then edited into a film. Coca-Cola's goal was to build on the iconic imagery while exploring the possibilities of new production technologies.
It is precisely this approach that is causing debate. Trade media and creatives criticize visible image breaks and inconsistencies in the commercial and complain that the AI images do not come close to the emotionality of earlier, classically produced Christmas films in terms of aesthetics. At the same time, impact tests show that the film is still achieving solid ratings among the general public. Coca-Cola is positioning the project as an example of the combination of human storytelling and AI, while the debate in the industry revolves primarily around the issues of authenticity, quality, and the future use of AI in emotionally charged brand worlds.
