Atlanta-based Coca-Cola faced renewed public criticism over its use of generative AI in holiday advertising, extending a controversy that began when the company reimagined its classic 1995 Holidays Are Coming campaign with the technology. The earlier AI-generated version was widely panned for visuals that many viewers described as soulless and creepy, and coverage of the reaction spread across social media and trade press.
Rather than retreat, the company produced another AI-driven holiday spot the following year, this time featuring anthropomorphic animals. The follow-up again drew negative attention, with critics arguing that the generated imagery lacked the warmth and craft associated with the brand's traditional seasonal advertising. The episode became a frequently cited example in industry discussions about the limits of automated content for flagship campaigns.
The criticism reflects a broader shift in audience sentiment toward AI-generated marketing. Surveys of U.S. consumers have found that a substantial share view AI-generated ads negatively, and commentators have pointed to the Coca-Cola campaigns as a case where efficiency gains collided with brand expectations built over decades. For a company headquartered in Fulton County and known globally for emotionally resonant holiday marketing, the reaction underscored the reputational stakes of visible AI use.
Marketing analysts noted that the controversy did not stem from a technical malfunction but from an aesthetic and emotional mismatch between machine-generated visuals and the nostalgia the brand has long cultivated. The coverage has made the campaigns a recurring reference point in debates over when generative tools help and when they undercut a brand's connection with its audience.
Source: DesignRush -- https://news.designrush.com/7-worst-ai-advertising-backfires-2025