When he first heard Coca-Cola remade its ‘Holidays are Coming’ campaign using AI, System1’s Andrew Tindall felt worried. After testing showed real people loved it, he learned its success was in long-term brand-building, not tech.
I must walk a fine line when sharing my opinion in my columns. After all, I work closely with a large number of brands, and shit-posting them will make my Monday morning meetings awkward.
But screw it. When Coca-Cola shared that it was replacing its classic Christmas truck spot with an AI version, it ruined my week. I’m not being dramatic. It genuinely clashed with everything I hold dear in marketing.
Consistency.
Brand history.
Great ads made by real people.
And it was a sign of the times and how much things are changing.
The main reason for my visceral reaction is what I wrote about in this column 12 months ago. The Coke Christmas truck ad has been used for 30 years …