Not So Magical: Coca-Cola’s AI Ad Flops Hard?

Coca-Cola, the billion-dollar titan of sugary carbonated delight, recently released an ad they’re calling “AI Magic.” Magic, huh? Bold claim for something that feels like it was cooked up by ChatGPT’s second cousin in a marketing brainstorming session gone wrong. Spoiler alert: this isn’t the kind of magic that leaves you amazed, it’s more like the unsettling CGI from The Polar Express: ambitious, but a little dead behind the eyes.?

First, let’s talk about the “magic.” Sure, AI was involved, but do you know what’s actually magical? Artists. Creators. People. The humans who spent hours feeding prompts into the AI, tweaking its outputs, and probably dealing with multiple existential crises when it kept turning Coca-Cola bottles into something resembling melted jellybeans. These unsung heroes are the real wizards here, but instead of giving them a spotlight, Coca-Cola decided to slap an AI buzzword on it and call it a day.?

A Billion-Dollar Company, Bargain-Bin Marketing?

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognisable brands on the planet, with an annual marketing budget of around $4 billion per year. That could fund an actual trip to the moon. And yet, their marketing strategy boiled down to, “Let’s let the robots handle it.”?

Why? Did they run out of ideas? Did they look at Pepsi’s recent campaigns and think, “You know what, we don’t need to try anymore”? The ad feels less like a celebration of creativity and more like a cost-cutting measure. Honestly, after watching it, I felt a sudden craving for a Pepsi.??

Just because you can use AI for an ad doesn’t mean you should. AI is a tool, not a get-out-of-hiring-actual-talent card. Your slogan might as well have been, “It’s not plagiarism if a computer does it.”?

AI: Tool or Tyrant??

Let’s be clear, this isn’t about hating AI. AI is incredible when used well. It can spark ideas, automate the boring stuff, and enhance human creativity. But here’s the thing: AI should enhance creativity, not replace it. It’s the paintbrush, not the painter. When companies like Coca-Cola lean too heavily on AI, it doesn’t just cheapen the output—it cheapens the process.?

There’s a fine line between innovation and laziness, and this ad is dangerously close to tripping over it.??

And Yet… Here We Are, Loving AI Anyway?

However... are we being unfair to Coca-Cola here? Maybe. Because as much as I want to hate the ad it does make me wonder what the future holds for creatives. The truth is, AI is undeniably exciting. It is a new frontier for artists, designers, and creators, a tool that can turn the impossible into the achievable. And admittedly... to contradict myself entirely, I use AI on the daily – THE AUDACITY!?

Imagine a future where creatives use AI to generate initial ideas at lightning speed, freeing up their time to refine and perfect. Or where AI algorithms analyse audience preferences to inspire campaigns that resonate on a deeply personal level. AI could unlock entirely new art forms, enabling creators to push the boundaries of imagination in ways we can’t even fathom yet.?

So yes, (to me) the Coca-Cola ad might’ve flopped harder than their “New Coke” flavour in 1985, but it’s also a reminder that AI isn’t going anywhere. If used properly, as a tool, not a solution, it could empower creatives rather than undermine them. The real magic will come when humans and AI work hand-in-hand, combining the emotional depth of human experience with the efficiency of machines.?

The Real Magic??

So, Coca-Cola here’s some advice: next time, don’t sell us AI-generated fizz and call it champagne. Embrace AI as a tool, but don’t forget the real magic comes from the people behind the curtain. And maybe, just maybe, spend some of that marketing budget on a campaign that doesn’t feel like it was phoned in by an overworked bot.?

Until then, I’ll be sipping my Pepsi.?