Coca-Cola's 2025 AI holiday campaign: sentiment dips, strategy deepens
Coca-Cola's latest AI-driven holiday push is drawing mixed reactions. CARMA reports post-launch conversations at 10.2% positive and 32% negative, versus 23.8% positive and 31.4% negative beforehand - a sharp drop in positivity and a slight rise in negativity.
The critique is familiar: less creativity, less nostalgia, less "magic." Many think AI is being used to cut costs at the expense of artistry, and they're saying so louder than last year.
What people are saying
Truescope data shows most chatter is neutral (93.8%), centered on AI in advertising and last year's AI-powered holiday campaign. About 3.1% shared mixed views, questioning the trade-off between efficiency and craft, and whether skipping traditional artists is worth it.
Negative sentiment came in at 1.5%, with "bland" and "soulless" recurring - and a few nods to Pepsi. Another 1.5% believe the controversy might be intentional noise. Different methodologies can explain the gap from CARMA's higher negative read, so treat both as directional rather than absolute.
Inside the 2025 campaign
"Refresh your holidays" spotlights the people who make seasonal moments happen behind the scenes. The work includes three films: "A holiday memory" and two AI-driven reimaginings of the 1995 classic, "The holidays are coming."
"A holiday memory" will run across North America, Latin America and Asia South-Pacific, following a busy mother who rediscovers the season's spirit after a Coca-Cola and a magical ornament. Coca-Cola Caravans and the Truck Tour return through November and December, supported by OOH, in-store and community activations.
AI sits at the core of production this year. Partnering with Secret Level and Silverside AI, the team built updated versions of "The holidays are coming," using tools that speed up versioning by audience and market. The goal: high-quality storytelling with faster iteration and tighter control over continuity and character consistency.
What the brand is signaling
Islam ElDessouky, global VP of creative strategy and content, emphasized the balance: keeping the timeless feel while evolving the expression. "People want authentic, genuinely touching storytelling that makes Coca-Cola special."
Pratik Thakar, global VP and head of generative AI, described precision-focused production with director-like control over camera and physics - and stressed that human creativity is still leading. Music and vocals were performed by real artists.
Why this matters to marketers
Holiday brand codes are fragile. Tweak them too far, sentiment wobbles. The expectation is clear: people want the feelings they remember - warmth, humanity, and consistency - with any new tech staying in service of that.
- Let AI accelerate production, not replace the soul. Keep human-led story, casting, performances and music front and center.
- Protect core brand codes (iconic assets, color, tone, audio cues). Test for "signal loss" before you scale.
- Pre-test for warmth, authenticity and emotional lift. Use quick-turn copy testing and qualitative groups to catch "uncanny" moments.
- Plan for backlash optics. Have a message map explaining the human roles, craftsmanship and where AI fits.
- Track beyond views: creative likeability, brand warmth, ad recall, purchase intent, share of search, and earned sentiment.
- Version smartly. Micro-tailor by region while keeping a single spine and consistent characters.
- Show your work. A short "how we made it" featuring the artists can reset the narrative.
- If you save time/money, reinvest visibly (community events, fan rewards). It counters the "cost-cutting over craft" critique.
Data notes for your team
Signals diverge. CARMA shows a steep drop in positivity (down 13.6 points), while Truescope shows a heavy neutral center with small negative pockets. That suggests more discourse about AI as a topic than outright brand rejection - but the softness in positive sentiment is a watchout.
- Positive shift: 23.8% to 10.2% (down 13.6 points).
- Negative shift: 31.4% to 32% (up 0.6 points).
- Neutral majority means people are observing, not rallying. Your creative has room to win them - or lose them.
If your team relies on social listening, cross-check methodology. Sampling windows, platform mix and classification rules can swing readings. Consider validating with brand trackers or copy tests before major media drops.
For reference: CARMA and Truescope.
Context from 2024
Last year's AI reboot blended nature shots, the truck caravans and neighborhood scenes. Efficiency got praise; the emotional read did not. Words like "soulless" and "uninspiring" showed up then too - a reminder that technique alone won't carry a holiday story.
Practical checklist for your next AI-led campaign
- Write a creative brief that anchors to one core emotion. Everything ladders to that.
- Define non-negotiables: brand codes, character rules, music, and visual do's/don'ts.
- Run a hybrid pipeline: human storyboard → AI previsualization → human polish → live audio and performances.
- Create a continuity bible for characters and assets. Lock it before versioning.
- QA for uncanny artifacts and off-brand moments before trafficking.
- Lay out legal/ethics guidelines for data, likeness, and disclosures.
- Plan social listening and response templates for the first 72 hours.
Upskill your team
If your marketers are building AI fluency, consider a focused path that links creative judgment with production workflows. A good starting point: AI Certification for Marketing Specialists.
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