Cutting 70% of your production budget sounds smart — until your trucks start shape-shifting on screen.

In 2024, Coca-Cola released a 100% AI-generated holiday commercial featuring a fleet of red trucks and polar bears. While the use of generative AI tools cut production costs for the large-scale ad by an estimated 70%, it was widely considered a PR disaster.

Audiences noticed technical glitches like shape-shifting trucks and inconsistent lighting, and criticised the brand for prioritising cost-cutting over human craftsmanship.

Most importantly, the soulless execution directly contradicted Coca-Cola's core "Always the Real Thing" and "Real Magic" brand identities.

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