Ahhhhh, it’s the holiday season! Cool mornings. Lights on houses. Bing Crosby on the radio. And Coca-Cola commercials. Except this time, one of these things is not like the others. With such a volatile culture, where it feels like we’re practically walking on egg shells, it’s nice to know that around Christmas time we’ll always have a warm, cheerful Coke commercial to bring us together. Well, folks are coming together but, unfortunately for Coca-Cola, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Met with firm rejection from most everyone with real intelligence, here’s Coke’s 2024 artificial intelligence-created Christmas ad.
As the kids would say… srsly? I find it hard to believe this was approved by X number of departments and executives. Needless to say, the obvious use of AI is not going over well; no one on social media is holding back. If you want a more detailed break down of the ad and the work that went into making the AI look real, check out this Forbes article.
If it weren’t for the song, I’d fully agree that the ad comes off more like a well-done high school project by a student who has a promising future. But for a billion-dollar brand that uses “always the real thing” as their catchphrase, maybe using fake intelligence isn’t the win they think it is. Plus, it pales in comparison to its predecessor from nearly 30 years ago, which looks a thousand percent better than the new one.
I actually felt a few goosebumps watching this old one. With the new ad, I feel nothing. It makes me wonder if other brands will embrace AI, too, and I’m thinking about the Budweiser clydesdale horses. If they’re turned into artificial intelligence, I’m moving out of the country. I’ve always wanted to live in Texas anyway.
-Out of the Wilderness
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Out of the Wilderness 