As a film enthusiast with over three decades of watching and analyzing movies under my belt, I must say that Coca-Cola’s foray into AI-generated advertising has left me feeling a tad underwhelmed and disappointed. I have seen some impressive AI-driven creations, but this latest ad from the drinks giant falls short of the mark for me.
I’ve found myself in the position of defending Coca-Cola amidst a storm of criticism over their recent move towards AI-created advertising for Christmas. The latest ad, which they describe as a modern take on their classic “Holidays Are Coming” campaign, aims to strike a balance between nostalgia and technological innovation. Despite the intended effect, it seems the response has been far from what they anticipated, with a wave of criticism sweeping across social media platforms instead.
The advertisement powered by AI showcases numerous renowned images typical of the company’s annual festive promotions, such as the well-known red trucks, jovial polar bears, cheerful expressions, and snow-covered avenues, along with the unforgettable “Holidays Are Coming” melody that is as associated with the season as Mariah Carey. Yet, for those who have seen AI-generated fake movie trailers on YouTube – featuring actors in roles they’ve never taken or will take – there’s an undeniable stiffness and artificial feel to it all.
This year, the company’s European Chief Marketing Officer, Javier Meza, shared with Marketing Week that the company is delving into artificial intelligence (AI) as a means to make the brand more relevant for “current times.” In his own words:
Initially, we didn’t explicitly state that we would use AI. Instead, our goal was to modernize the classic Holidays Are Coming campaign. As we brainstormed solutions, AI emerged as a promising tool for achieving this objective.
Despite the company’s reasons for choosing not to employ real people to create a fresh commercial, many people are dissatisfied and have expressed their concerns on Coca-Cola’s X/Twitter account, finding this approach ineffective.
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Social Media Reactions to Coca-Cola’s AI Commercial
Social media serves as an excellent platform for disseminating information, yet it can expose businesses to intense backlash from upset customers if their actions strike a sensitive chord. Judging by the multitude of comments, this appears to be one such instance.
On Twitter, many users who still use the social media platform voiced their complaints about the advertisement, with @hzjoe03 commenting, “It’s astonishing that this is the company that turned Santa red due to their iconic ads, now they’re just producing subpar work.” Similarly, @synthpotato found the ad’s slogan ironic, stating, “Ending with ‘Real Magic’ after showing such fake content is quite remarkable.” However, some users have defended the advertisement or acknowledged the unfortunate reality that AI has brought to industries striving to reduce costs, as expressed by @xprunie.
As a cinephile, let me share my thoughts on this: “Many film enthusiasts might express their displeasure, but the hard fact is that in today’s world, creative marketing will undoubtedly evolve this way. If I can miraculously replicate 70% of a marketing campaign’s impact using just 5% of its original cost, then count me in.
Of course, there is one huge thing that differentiates one from the other – the people who are employed to create them. Coming hot on the heels of last year’s Hollywood strikes, and at a time when many people are looking for reassurances that they are not about to be replaced by the real world’s version of Skynet, perhaps resorting to AI generation this year of all years was perhaps a tone-deaf move by one of the companies who defined so much of the imagery of the festive holidays.
The Coca-Cola Corporation hasn’t given a response just yet, but rest assured, I am in the process of crafting a suitable response through ChatGPT at this moment.
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2024-11-17 01:34