Coca-Cola released another computer-generated version of its famous holiday truck commercial, and viewers say it misses the mark, the Verge reported.

What happened?

The beverage company partnered with AI studios Silverside and Secret Level to make its 2025 "Holidays Are Coming" campaign using artificial intelligence.

The company assigned roughly 100 people to the project. Five specialists used AI prompts to make tens of thousands of video clips. The company's chief marketing officer, Manolo Arroyo, told the Wall Street Journal that the AI approach cut production time.

"Before, when we were doing the shooting and all the standard processes for a project, we would start a year in advance. Now, you can get it done in around a month," Arroyo said.

Social media users quickly pointed out the questionable value. X user Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) commented, "Wait a minute. Coca-Cola's dog**** AI ad basically cost as much as shooting a normal ad that humans would like?"

Wait a minute. Coca-Cola's dogshit AI ad basically cost as much as shooting a normal ad that humans would like? https://t.co/ndMrlW37vX

— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) November 6, 2025

This marks the second year Coke has used AI for its holiday campaign. The 2024 version also received complaints about how it looked.

Why is Coca-Cola's AI advertising concerning?

Coca-Cola's decision to use AI advertising puts creative industry jobs at risk as these programs become capable of doing work people used to do. The company had roughly the same headcount on this AI campaign as it would on a traditional shoot, but the roles differed, with prompt engineers taking spots that might have gone to other types of workers.

When big brands choose computer-made content that viewers find unappealing, it shows that cost and speed outweigh audience satisfaction in the brand's eyes. Google made an all-AI ad in 2025, with company representatives stating that viewers have no preference between computer-made and human-made advertising.

AI data centers also come with a high environmental cost. UNEP reported that they use large amounts of water and energy, rare earth elements have to be mined for the microchips that power AI, and the centers produce toxic electronic waste. 

And Coca-Cola is already one of the world's worst polluters. 

The beverage maker has taken some helpful steps on environmental matters. In 2024, the company said nearly all its packaging could go into recycling bins, compared to nine out of 10 containers two years earlier. The company also increased the amount of recycled plastic and aluminum it uses to just over one-quarter of its packaging materials.

About one in seven beverages Coca-Cola sells comes in refillable containers.

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What can I do about AI replacing creative workers?

Contact Coca-Cola to share your views on their advertising choices. Tell the company you want commercials made by human creators.

Choose brands that employ human talent in their marketing campaigns and consider sustainability across the board. You can also back policies that protect creative workers. Contact your representatives to voice your support for legislation that requires disclosure when computers make commercial content and provides protections for people in creative industries.

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