“Craftsmanship is ten times better”: Coca-Cola brings back its AI-generated Christmas ad for the second year in a row

Coca-Cola unveiled its 2025 Christmas ad, utilizing artificial intelligence to create the entire festive message once again. The company shared that this year’s campaign shows major progress compared to last year's, with top executives calling it ten times better in quality and design.

Many consider Coca-Cola’s holiday commercials a significant indicator that the festive season is upon us. For years, the brand’s “Holidays are Coming” ad — known for its famous red truck and catchy jingle — has been a beloved part of Christmas traditions worldwide.

In 2024, Coca-Cola made a significant leap by utilizing AI technology to create its annual holiday commercial. This decision got mixed reviews. Many people thought the ad lacked the feeling and old charm of previous years. Still, the company opted to maintain its AI-focused approach for the 2025 commercial.

“Last year people criticized the craftsmanship. But this year the craftsmanship is ten times better,” said Pratik Thakar, Global VP and Head of Generative AI at Coca-Cola, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Thakar added:

“There will be people who criticize — we cannot keep everyone 100 percent happy, but if the majority of consumers see it in a positive way, it’s worth going forward. We understand that concern. But we need to keep moving forward and pushing the envelope.”

Coca-Cola’s annual Christmas advert is AI-generated for the second year running

Their Global VP said, “Last year people criticized the craftsmanship. But this year the craftsmanship is ten times better” pic.twitter.com/gahm0xmOqh

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) November 4, 2025

Coca-Cola’s 2025 Christmas campaign emphasizes AI-driven craftsmanship

The latest ad, inspired by the famous "Holidays are coming" campaign from the mid-1990s, was launched on Monday, immediately following Halloween. Coca-Cola is now focusing its message on the winter holidays. They also released a behind-the-scenes video showing how the ad was created.

The company shared that a small group of five AI experts spent 30 days creating the ad. They reviewed over 70,000 video clips to put together the final piece. A behind-the-scenes video showcased the effort and attention to detail that went into the project.

“That level of precision suggests the team had to go way beyond just simple prompting,” a voice in the footage explains. “Shaping the animals, getting the texture right, those big sparkly eyes.”

The final ad resembles the idea used last year and sticks to the brand’s classic holiday imagery. It shows Coca-Cola trucks traveling through a snowy scene while lifelike, computer-generated animals watch them go by. The team described the animation style as “realistic” and highlighted the detailed textures and natural movements.

Although Coca-Cola is confident about its new strategy, people online are already criticizing its 2025 ad for utilizing generative AI. Some critics are wondering why the company chose to reduce its usual creative team and rely more on technology.

Like the campaign from the previous year, some believe that using AI for such a large project indicates a shift in how major brands approach creativity. However, Coca-Cola insists that this project demonstrates its commitment to exploring new avenues and expanding in the area of digital storytelling while preserving one of its longest-standing holiday traditions.