For decades, Coca-Cola’s seasonal spots have been closely tied to handcrafted visuals and nostalgic storytelling. This year, however, the company released holiday commercials created with generative AI tools, including expansive scenes built from tens of thousands of AI-generated clips. The effort was meant to modernize the iconic “Holidays Are Coming” narrative while leveraging the efficiency and scale offered by AI production.
Public reaction to Coca-Cola’s AI holiday ads was swift and polarized. While some industry observers noted the technical improvements in this year’s AI creations compared with last year’s attempts, many viewers criticized the spots online as lacking the emotional depth and warmth historically associated with Coca-Cola’s seasonal storytelling. Comments on social media described the ads as “soulless” or “cheap,” sparking broader questions about the impact of replacing traditional creative labor with machine generation.
The controversy also intersected with legal and regulatory issues. Under evolving advertising guidelines in the United States and Europe, companies may be required to clearly disclose when synthetic content is used in commercial campaigns, particularly if that content could mislead consumers about what is real versus generated.
Meanwhile, debate over AI in popular culture extended beyond advertising into music and visual media. The global girl group “Katseye” became a subject of discussion after fans and internet commentators raised questions about the alleged use of AI elements in their latest visualizer and cover art production for the recent release “Internet Girl”.
Katseye’s “Internet Girl” Digital Album Art Cover.
Critics pointed to the credited roles such as the 351 Studio, an “AI prompter” for creators involved in the visual projects, leading to divided opinions about whether AI tools were enhancing or detracting from artistic authenticity.
Katseye also starred in Gap’s fall 2025 “Better in Denim” advertising campaign, a viral spot that, while not itself AI-generated, highlighted the contrast between human performance and automated creation in creative industries. The campaign received widespread positive attention for its inclusivity and artistic direction.
Together, these developments suggest that generative AI’s expanding role in creative spaces is prompting audiences to question what constitutes art and whether machine-assisted creation belongs alongside traditional artistic expression.
