Coca-Cola has issued a statement after quashing massive backlash over its AI-produced Christmas commercial, which was labeled “disastrous” by fans.
Paying homage to the iconic drink's 1995 “Holidays Are Coming” campaign, the new 15-second ad delivers ice-cold bottles of Coke to customers in a festively decorated city. A cherry red truck is depicted running on a snowy road.
However, a small disclaimer written in small print on the video that read “Created by Real Magic AI'' infuriated people.
The brand has since defended its use of the controversial technology, claiming it is a collaboration between humans and AI.
“For decades, The Coca-Cola Company has celebrated a long history of capturing the magic of the holidays with content, movies, events, retail activations and more around the world,” the spokesperson said. Ta.
“We're always looking for new ways to connect with consumers and experimenting with different approaches. This year, we created a film through a collaboration between human storytellers and the power of generative AI.”
Consumers literally didn't buy the ad and denounced it as a “creepy dystopian nightmare.”
“If Coca-Cola's Christmas ad was made by AI, the world would end,” one user wrote to X, according to the Independent.
“Sad to see this made with an AI-generated program,” another person added in a comment on YouTube.
“It feels like we're watching the death of art and our planet unfold before our eyes, and no one IRL seems to care.”
The video, which went viral on social media for the wrong reasons, was described by some as “rubbish”, “ugly” and “lazy”.
But why did this short video cause so much controversy?
Aside from the “unbearably” choppy commercials (there are 10 shots in just 15 seconds), many commentators say this is a shoddy attempt to cheapen labor and steal jobs from the film and technology industries. He claimed that. forbes Reported.
Critics say the quality of the work is also up to the mark.
Many of the details are “off”, such as the way the truck's wheels slide across the ground instead of spinning, and the apparent absence of Santa Claus on screen, only a disproportionate hand clutching a coke bottle. are.
But Jason Zada, founder of AI studio Secret Level, one of three companies Coca-Cola worked with on the project, said the clip still has a human element that creates “warmth.” claimed to exist.
Zada told AdAge that leveraging generative AI for something as complex as a commercial is not as easy as pushing a button, Pratik Thakar, vice president and global head of generative AI at Coca-Cola. He explained that the company is bridging that “tradition.” A next-generation campaign with the theme of “Future and Technology.”
Using this technology, he claimed, saves money and not to mention time.
“More than cost, it's speed,” Takhar told the media.
“Is it about 5 times faster?” And that's a big advantage. Traditionally, manufacturing times would have taken even longer. So it's a big benefit. ”
“Then you can do more, more variety, more customized, more personalized things,” he continued.
“And that's the best way to leverage resources, rather than work less or spend less.”
