Coca-Cola's disastrous AI Christmas ad is the biggest branding blunder of the year

A still from the Holidays are Coming Coca-Cola Christmas advert
(Image credit: Coca-Cola)

"It's the real thing'.... or is it? For decades, authenticity has been the message at the heart of Coca-Cola's branding. Even today, it's tagline is 'Real magic'. But Christmas 2024 marks a major departure. The brand's taken the risky, and frankly bizarre, move of remaking its world-famous and much-loved 'Holidays are Coming' advert using artificial intelligence. And people are appalled.

Originally launched in 1995, Holidays are Coming remains close to the top in our pick of the best Christmas adverts of all time. Featuring a convoy of Coca-Cola trucks in a snowy landscape, and backed up with physical Coca-Cola truck tours, the advert has become so synonymous with Christmas that some say the season truly begins when they hear that Kingdom Choir soundtrack. So why risk ruining that with a cheap and tacky remake?

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Joe Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.