Coca-Cola’s 2025 AI Holiday Ad Sparks Backlash and Debate

Coca-Cola is once again leaning into artificial intelligence for its latest holiday campaign, despite the storm of criticism that surrounded its 2024 AI-generated ad. The beverage giant’s 2025 “Refresh Your Holidays” campaign aims to blend tradition and innovation, bringing back the brand’s iconic Christmas trucks with a digital twist. Produced by AI studios Secret Level and Silverside, the new spot uses generative AI to animate festive scenes filled with anthropomorphic animals, snowy landscapes, and Coca-Cola’s signature red trucks all culminating in a digitally rendered Santa Claus inspired by Haddon Sundblom’s classic 1930s paintings (The Hollywood Reporter).

The move follows last year’s widely mocked “Holidays Are Coming” ad, which was criticized for replacing human artists with synthetic creations. Many accused Coca-Cola of prioritizing cost savings over creative integrity, with one viral comment claiming, “Coca-Cola is red because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artists” (The Hollywood Reporter). Yet, despite the uproar, the ad drew billions of impressions, proving that controversy can sometimes fuel engagement rather than harm it.

This year, Coca-Cola hopes to change the narrative. According to Pratik Thakar, the company’s global VP and head of generative AI, the new campaign features “ten times better craftsmanship” and a focus on animals rather than human figures, taking advantage of advancements in AI video tools that now better capture lifelike emotion and expression (The Hollywood Reporter). The company’s creative partners emphasize that while AI handles execution, humans still guide the storytelling. “Creative ambition, direction, and thought leadership have and always will be human-led,” said Thakar. “AI is a superpower when it comes to execution and production, making what was previously impossible possible” (DesignRush).

The “Refresh Your Holidays” campaign is not limited to one ad. It includes three films: a live-action spot titled A Holiday Memory and two reimagined versions of the classic truck commercial. The live-action short follows a mother rediscovering the joy of the holidays through a magical snow globe moment a symbol of Coca-Cola’s attempt to preserve emotional warmth even within AI-driven visuals. Beyond the screen, the campaign extends to digital channels, in-store promotions, and the brand’s signature truck tour, which will travel across the globe bringing immersive holiday experiences to local communities (DesignRush).

Still, the backlash hasn’t disappeared. Social media users remain skeptical of the company’s reliance on generative AI, calling the ad “soulless” and a “sloppy eyesore.” Critics argue that no amount of digital polish can replace the emotional authenticity of human artistry (The Express Tribune). Coca-Cola executives, however, view the criticism as part of the growing pains of innovation. “The genie is out of the bottle, and you’re not going to put it back in,” said Thakar, defending the company’s commitment to exploring AI’s creative potential. Secret Level founder Jason Zada echoed that sentiment, stating that his team was “incredibly proud” to bring “magic across the globe” through this new creative medium (The Express Tribune).

While public opinion remains divided, Coca-Cola’s continued investment in AI marketing signals a broader shift across the advertising industry. The campaign has become a cultural test case for how audiences perceive synthetic creativity and whether nostalgia can survive digital transformation. As one marketing analyst put it, the brand’s experiment is “proof that even the most iconic companies can stumble when tech outpaces emotion” (DesignRush). Whether consumers embrace this new era of AI-generated holiday magic or long for the warmth of human-made storytelling, Coca-Cola’s bold approach ensures one thing: people are still talking about it.

This article was written by the Covertly.AI team. Covertly.AI is a secure, anonymous AI chat that protects your privacy. Connect to advanced AI models without tracking, logging, or exposure of your data. Whether you’re an individual who values privacy or a business seeking enterprise-grade data protection, Covertly.AI helps you stay secure and anonymous when using AI. With Covertly.AI, you get seamless access to all popular large language models - without compromising your identity or data privacy.

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Works Cited

The Hollywood Reporter. “Coca-Cola Is Trying Another AI Holiday Ad. Executives Say This Time Is Different.” The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Oct. 2025, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/coke-new-ai-holiday-ad-video-

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DesignRush. “Coca-Cola's Second AI Holiday Effort: Breaking Ground or Building Backlash?” DesignRush, 30 Oct. 2025, https://news.designrush.com/coca-cola-ai-holiday-campaign-2025-refresh-your-holidays.

The Express Tribune. “Coca-Cola Releases AI-Generated ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Ad Second Time in a Row Despite Backlash.” The Express Tribune, 31 Oct. 2025, https://tribune.com.pk/story/2575763/coca-cola-releases-ai-generated-holidays-are-coming-ad-second-year-in-a-row-despite-backlash.

The Independent. “After Its 2024 Christmas Disaster, Coca-Cola Is Attempting Another AI Holiday Ad.” The Independent, 4 Nov. 2025, https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/coca-cola-christmas-ai-holiday-ad-santa-claus-truck-b2857982.html.

Getty Images. “167 Coca Cola Logo Stock Videos, Footage, & 4K Video Clips.” Getty Images, https://www.gettyimages.ca/videos/coca-cola-logo.