Coca-Cola faced renewed public criticism over an AI-generated holiday commercial, part of a wider consumer backlash against AI-made advertising documented across 2026. The company first drew pushback with an AI holiday spot featuring its red trucks in snowy scenes, then released a follow-up featuring animated animals admiring the trucks. Both drew complaints that the imagery felt artificial and emotionally hollow despite improved technical quality.
Other brands encountered similar reactions. Toys R Us was criticized for an AI-generated commercial produced with a text-to-video tool that depicted the company origin story with visibly artificial imagery, which audiences described as a shortcut. A McDonald's holiday spot in the Netherlands became a frequently cited example of how AI-made commercials irritated general audiences.
Survey data captured the shift in sentiment. Only 19 percent of users in 2026 said they felt excited about AI, down from 50 percent two years earlier, and 63 percent of consumers said they trust brands less when they suspect an ad was made with AI. The figures help explain why several campaigns that leaned on visible AI generation met with public ridicule rather than praise.
Some companies responded by changing course. Almond Breeze and Equinox launched campaigns that poked fun at the technology, and other brands began commissioning behind-the-scenes content to prove their ads were made by people. Marketers described the reversal as a sign that audience trust had eroded to the point where human production had itself become a selling point.
Source: Inc. - https://www.inc.com/annabel-burba/the-ai-ad-backlash-is-here-and-big-brands-are-leaning-in/91285342