Coca-Cola: The Real Thing?

rom education, to entertainment, and now advertising, artificial intelligence (AI), has swept industries across the world. Coca-Cola, a brand synonymous with innovative marketing, recently unveiled an ad campaign created using AI-generated videos. Three AI studios collaborated to make a series of short clips featuring bright red Coca-Cola trucks, polar bears, and snowy cityscapes. The ad showcased the immense potential of AI in modern marketing—sparking concerns and controversy in the media.

The AI ad is based off of a 1995 commercial, only now replacing real people and real trucks with digital dupes. Many artists and creators online have criticized that AI replaces human workers and builds off of other artist’s works without proper credit. 

While AI replaces human workers, it cannot replace their quality of work. The Wall Street Journal comments that the ad is clearly made by AI: mocking badly rendered logos and distorted proportions. According to Coca-Cola, they are not using AI to cut costs, but instead to personalize marketing without having to animate or re-shoot multiple features. For example, in the recent holiday ad, there is a welcome sign. Using AI, Coke can easily change the wording on the sign to specific cities, which they have done for at least 12 cities. Moreover, it used to take Coke several months to create a TV ad, but now they can produce 

Others worry about the ethical implications, such as how the AI gathers and uses consumer data. Was the campaign crafted based on sensitive personal information? And does this set a precedent for invasive data collection in advertising? Some also fear that using AI might lead to a homogeneity in ads: where everything starts to look algorithmically generated, losing the human touch that defines truly memorable campaigns.

Coca-Cola’s ad offers a lesson: how do we incorporate AI thoughtfully in our work. In marketing projects or creative writing assignments, AI tools like ChatGPT or design platforms can help generate ideas or enhance presentations. However, it’s crucial to maintain the human element, ensuring that the final product reflects unique perspectives and values. By striking a balance between technology and creativity, students can learn to use AI as a tool rather than a replacement for their own ingenuity. Coca-Cola’s campaign may be a sign of what’s to come, but the future of creativity remains in our hands.