Coke is the latest multinational corporation to use AI to advertise

Coco-Cola, better known as Coke, has just released its annual Christmas ad, and for the second year in a row it was made entirely with Artificial Intelligence.   

The ad is a recreation of the iconic 1995 ‘Holidays are Coming’ advert and features the beloved Coke trucks travelling across the globe to spread holiday cheer, except this time AI did 100% of the work. 

In a statement Coke said that around 70,000 AI-generated video clips were created in the process of making this advert.  

The advert engendered uproar across social media platforms, as consumers complained that the animation is robotically fluid and the animals look uncanny. The consensus is that the AI-generated video does not live up to the high expectations set by the soda company’s previous Christmas adverts.    

In addition to the negative response to the quality of the ad, many were outraged that the multinational company chose not to employ real people.  

One viral tweet with over 20,000 likes stated, “This is disgusting, you are a multibillion-dollar company, pay real animators.”  

Another angry user said, “Embarrassing, Christmas ads are supposed to have heart and personality and make you feel things. Another flop advert from Coke.”  

Coke faced similar backlash last year for its first attempt at using AI for an advert. This raises the question: why would the company opt for the use of AI again this year? 

A behind-the-scenes video released by the conglomerate after the publication of the controversial add confirmed that AI was used in the production of the ad, adding that it took 5 AI specialists and 100 workers a month to make.   

Coke released a statement about how it used fewer people to create this year’s Christmas ad than last year’s. Where they once would have employed hundreds of people, they now require just over 100 people.  

The statement reads, “We need to keep moving forward and pushing the envelope, the genie is out of the bottle and you’re not going to put it back in.”  

Coke’s Chief Marketing Officer, Manolo Arroyo showed his support for the use of AI, saying, “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.”  

The company failed to disclose the cost of making the advert, leading many to speculate that it isn’t actually a cheaper alternative than hiring a team of artists and animators.   

Coke has already faced a lot of backlash in recent months due to its support of Israel. Now, with its use of AI, more people are calling for a boycott of the brand.  

The Coke advert is an example of just one of the many ways that AI has itself into our everyday lives.  

With increasing advancements forthcoming, it’s hard to predict where and how it will be used even in a year from now.  

Ireland recently had its own AI scandal during the presidential election in the form of a deepfake video that depicted Catherine Connolly withdrawing from the presidential election. This video was posted right before voting day in an effort to misinform the public.  

Catherine herself said, “The video is a fabrication, it is a disgraceful attempt to mislead voters and undermine our democracy”.  

Across the world, AI has been used for finding success in the music industry. In the US, the first AI music artist to chart on Billboard was signed under a 3 million dollar contract. Xania Monet was created by Telisha Jones, an R&B songwriter from Mississippi.  

Speaking about her creation, Telisha said, “Xania is an extension of me, so I see her as a real person. I just feel like AI, it’s the new era we’re in. And I look at it like a tool, as an instrument, and utilise it”.  

Currently, Xania has over one million monthly listeners on Spotify, with her most-streamed song ‘How was I supposed to know?’ grossing 5 million streams. Xania’s voice is extremely realistic, leading most listeners to not even realise that the singer is AI.  

From advertisements to political misinformation to music, AI has incorporated itself into every aspect of our daily lives.  

While new rules and regulations are being introduced to control and limit the use of AI, major corporations like Coca-Cola are still choosing to use AI rather than hiring real people.  

However, this scandal has shed light on the public’s distaste for the use of AI in media and will hopefully encourage multinational corporations to opt for human workers rather than AI.