Coca-Cola Leverages AI for 2025 Christmas Ad, Elicits Mixed Reactions

In 2024, the iconic red Coca-Cola truck returns for Christmas, now enhanced with AI. Three studios have revamped the classic ad, blending tradition with innovation to captivate audiences.

The Return of the Coca-Cola Red Truck

A quintessential sign of the holiday season, the Coca-Cola red truck cruises back onto TV screens, carrying the festive spirit of Christmas. Following a hiatus in 2020, the iconic “Holidays Are Coming” commercial, first aired in 1995, makes a grand return in 2024, revitalized through artificial intelligence (AI).

Collaboration with Specialized AI Studios

To breathe life into this modern rendition of the commercial, Coca-Cola partnered with three AI studios: Secret Level, Silverside AI, and Wild Card. Each studio crafted a unique version of the festive advertisement using various AI models, including Runway.

These ads have garnered mixed reactions on YouTube, with some viewers expressing concerns about AI’s impact on filmmaking. However, a survey by Truescope found that 83% of respondents were “neutral” about the use of AI in advertising.

Ad Creation in the Age of AI

AI enabled the creation of the advertisement in just two months—a task that would have taken a year using traditional CGI and filming techniques, according to Silverside. The project involved generating 10,000 images and 5,000 video segments, primarily using AI tools like Runway, Kling, and Luma Labs Dream Machine.

The real advantage of using AI lies in its ability to facilitate rapid project modifications. Silverside highlights that AI can enable “quick customization for different regions in real-time,” demonstrating that AI, combined with human creativity, can elevate storytelling to new heights.

Constantly Evolving Technology

AI is evolving and improving faster than nearly any other area of generative technology. “If this experiment were to be repeated in a year, no one could tell it was AI-generated, and it might even be possible to create it from a single instruction,” states Jason Zada, founder of Secret Level.

Undoubtedly, AI continues to push the boundaries of creation, particularly in the advertising sector.