Coca-Cola launches a Christmas ad created with AI and features animals

Coca-Cola's new Christmas campaign comes with a technological twist: a ad generated with artificial intelligence that replaces the human protagonists with animals and it once again focuses on how ads are created today. The piece, linked to the company's brand platform, It maintains the classic festive codes. but he interprets them with AI tools.

The company maintains that The process has been streamlined and optimizedwith a crew of comparable size to that of a traditional film shoot and significantly shorter production times. The proposal, which Some have already pointed to it as controversialIt seeks to balance efficiency and storytelling without sacrificing the brand's iconic elements.

A Christmas ad generated with AI: animals on screen

Despite the announcement It rules out human faces almost entirely, one is not needed detection tool to know that it was made with the help of AI. The ad resorts to a gallery of animals that react to the passage of trucks reds illuminated by Christmas lightsThis choice It aims to avoid the strange feeling they can generate. synthetic human characters, and blends a realistic finish with a touch of cartoonish aesthetics.

The work of Post-production is handled by the studios Silverside AI and Secret LevelThe piece features the "Real Magic AI" logo. The creative intention was to preserve the brand's winter atmosphere and classic Christmas imagery, but to build them using generative techniques.

Although the execution relies on algorithms, the project has required extensive human coordination. There is talk of 100 professionals involved, including a core group of AI specialists, to oversee, adjust and cohesive the final result.

Production, times and technology used

Sources linked to the development indicate that more than 70.000 reference videos to compose, improve, and refine the piece. The company emphasizes that human effort does not disappear, but is redistributed towards tasks of curation, quality control, and narrative coherence.

In terms of schedule and budget, the marketing management team maintains that the announcement could have been finalized in about a month. compared to the cycle of almost a year of equivalent projects with 100% traditional processes. Furthermore, they point to a reduction in costs, without specifying figures.

This approach not only affects the assembly phase: it also impacts planning, since AI allows for rapid iteration versions, rhythms and scenes until a result is found that works in different markets and formats.

The "Refresh Your Holidays" platform and associated pieces

The global campaign is structured under the platform "Refresh Your Holidays"Driven by the WPP Open X ecosystem and led by VML, with the collaboration of EssenceMediacom, Ogilvy, and Burson, the campaign aims to maintain the brand's emotional connection to the holidays while remaining consistent with its historical values.

In addition to the spot featuring animals, the brand is launching "A Holiday Memory," a piece that will air in North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, and which reinforces the idea of ​​pausing and connecting amidst the Christmas preparations. Coca-Cola has also created reinterpretations of its classic "Holidays Are Coming" using AI.

From the global creative team, spokespeople like Islam ElDessouky emphasize that the priority is to preserve the connection genuine human through storytelling, while the AI ​​team led by Pratik Thakar emphasizes narrative continuity and character coherence as key advances.

Reactions and debate surrounding AI

The announcement has not shied away from the public conversation surrounding AI in advertising.Opinions that value experimentation coexist with others that They question the loss of "human warmth" in certain scenes. The first expert reviews have compared its finish to other technologies in the sector, highlighting that the visual language generated by AI is still evolving at a rapid pace.

Both the company and the studies involved acknowledge that there will not be total consensus. The operational premise is clear: if the majority of consumers perceive the item positively, The commitment to AI will continue, maintaining a continuous improvement in the technical and narrative result.

Activations in Spain and Europe

Beyond the audiovisual piece, The campaign takes to the streets with the return of Christmas caravans and trucks during November and DecemberThese activations, common in Europe and Spain, combine immersive experiences with retail and outdoor advertising activities.

The rollout includes media formats, point-of-sale promotional materials, and a presence at local events. The brand aims to... Advertising recall is reinforced through physical contact and experiences in communities across the continent.

With a commercial built using artificial intelligence, a more agile production framework, and a global platform that looks at tradition through the lens of technology, Coca-Cola tries to balance efficiency and emotion for its Christmas campaign, while the industry and the public scrutinize the role of AI in creativity.