Those bright red Coca-Cola trucks rolling down snowy roads, decked out in twinkling lights that image has kicked off the holidays for so many people over the years. Now, in the 2025 version of the beloved “Holidays Are Coming” spot, the trucks weave through city streets aglow with decorations, past Japanese lanterns, and into playful moments with animal characters like bears, otters, and rabbits sharing the cheer. It all wraps up with Santa popping open a Coke for a toast. But here’s the catch the whole thing was put together by AI, no human hands on the animation wheel, and that’s got folks up in arms, saying it lacks the real heart of the old ones.
A tweet from X.
Back in 1995, when the campaign first hit screens, it won over audiences with its genuine feel real people acting it out, hands-on effects, and a rhythm that let the warmth sink in. Things changed last year, though, with Coca-Cola’s dip into AI for a few short holiday clips in 2024. People weren’t thrilled complaints rolled in about weird faces and movements that just didn’t look right. Still, the company didn’t back down. For 2025, they went all in, rebuilding the classic with tech taking center stage.
They teamed up with AI outfits like Secret Level and Silverside AI, plus others such as Wild Card, and agencies under WPP Open X like VML, Essence Mediacom, Ogilvy, and Burson. Just five AI experts churned out more than 70,000 clips in about a month, handling everything from fur textures to those shiny animal eyes. The total crew was around 100, not too different from old-school productions, but way lighter on actual artists doing the work. Pratik Thakar, who’s Coca-Cola’s global VP and head of generative AI, called it a
“bold leap that broke new ground”
and a “global milestone.” The higher-ups say AI boosts what humans do, making it easier to roll out stuff worldwide. One rep summed it up
“We need to keep moving forward and pushing the envelope… The genie is out of the bottle, and you’re not going to put it back in.”
CEO James Quincey talked up how this fits into going digital to really connect with people.
The response was quick and heated. Over on X and other spots, the reveal pulled in more than 3,900 comments, lots of them calling it “disgusting” and pushing for boycotts. Viewers missed the handcrafted vibe, spotting glitches like jerky animations and a speed that rushes past the feels. Folks in the biz piled on too; Alex Hirsch from “Gravity Falls” quipped that Coca-Cola is “red because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artists.” Many say it’s messy, with odd shapes lurking in the back and motions that fall flat, showing where AI still stumbles in telling stories for ads.
This stir-up shines a light on bigger fights in creative work. AI dangles quicker turnaround and savings like Coca-Cola’s claimed 30% cut in costs but it stirs worries about jobs vanishing for animators and art losing its spark. With Coca-Cola dropping $5 billion a year on ads, this could flip the script on who’s needed, favoring coders over creators. But does tech really capture that subtle human flair that made these classics stick? In a piece from Creative Bloq on AI controversies, they note how tools like this are going mainstream despite pushback on ethics and jobs, painting a picture of an industry in flux.
All said, this 2025 ad from Coca-Cola sits right where progress meets pushback, flashing what’s possible with tech but reminding us why human creativity hits different in holiday tales. As companies wade deeper into this, it’ll shape whether art keeps its soul or gets streamlined away.
