Coca-Cola’s AI Christmas Ad Revolutionizes Marketing
Coca-Cola’s beloved ‘Holidays Are Coming’ Christmas advertisement takes a groundbreaking turn this year, as it will be “fully created with artificial intelligence,” as announced by the company’s marketing chief. This innovative approach reflects Coca-Cola’s willingness to experiment with technology while maintaining the charm of its traditional holiday campaign.
Set to air later this month, the latest iteration of Coca-Cola’s iconic Christmas TV campaign will feature the familiar festive delivery lorry and Santa Claus but with an intriguing new twist. Javier Meza, president of marketing and Europe CMO at The Coca-Cola Company, revealed that this project combines human ingenuity with AI tools, positioning it as the first advert generated entirely by AI for the brand.
While specific details regarding the implementation of AI in the ad remain undisclosed, Coca-Cola describes it as an “interpretation of the classic advert,” inviting both curiosity and excitement among its audience. The campaign is part of a broader digital strategy, including a new festive AI experience that allows consumers to engage with Santa or a snow globe avatar by scanning a QR code on Coca-Cola’s holiday packaging. This interactive feature lets shoppers create personalized, shareable snow globe animations based on their own memories, showcasing the potential of AI to enhance customer engagement.
Meza acknowledges that the journey into AI-driven marketing is still in its infancy. He states, “We are learning. AI is still at its early stages. It’s difficult to tell how much that’s going to change industries but it will change,” highlighting the brand’s commitment to evolving with ongoing discussions about the ethical considerations and potential limits of AI technology.
To support its AI initiatives, Coca-Cola has formed strategic alliances with Bain & Company and OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. Together, they developed an online platform called Create Real Magic, utilizing advanced generative AI engines such as GPT-4 for text and DALL-E for image creation. Last Christmas, this platform enabled fans to generate digital greeting cards using Coca-Cola’s brand assets, illustrating how AI can facilitate creativity and personal connection in marketing.
In summary, Coca-Cola’s decision to fully embrace artificial intelligence in its Christmas advertisement not only exemplifies an innovative marketing strategy but also marks a new era in the integration of technology within the advertising sector. As the company continues to explore AI’s capabilities, it opens the door to a future where traditional marketing meets advanced technology, promising to reshape customer experiences.