Coca-Cola’s Artificial Intelligence Ad
The ethical and creative implications of artificial intelligence in advertising vary. AI can be helpful in generating specific ads by analyzing demographics, interests and customer behavior. AI-powered platforms can optimize and generate real-time, tailored ad content, increasing engagement and conversion rates. While AI is a tool companies can use to improve ad performance, integrating AI into the content requires a human touch to maintain authenticity.
Another question raised about AI in advertising is if it is ethical. At the annual Business School DEI Collaborative Conference hosted by Texas Christian University, speakers explained that since AI is driven by user input, its ethicality depends on how it is used. However, this only addresses the issues of consumer manipulation, which can occur in advertising regardless of AI.
What changes the game ethically is AI’s potential to perpetuate bias and discrimination. While this can be user-dependent, at what point does generating a quickly made AI ad cross the line? If an ad is offensive or carelessly produced, what does it say about the brand that released it? Coca-Cola, for example, may have intended to generate word-of-mouth buzz by using AI for its commercial. Perhaps the company did not care so much about the implications of their company releasing an AI-generated ad if it meant gaining more attention.
According to NBC News, many creatives criticized Coca-Cola for using AI technology instead of human artists. However, this is only the beginning;anger among artists continues to rise as more companies experiment with AI. Many fear they may be replaced if this trend continues. The commercial received widespread backlash, with audiences saying it was impersonal and lacked human emotion. Several viewers expressed their disappointment by commenting on Coca-Cola’s YouTube video of the ad or posting frustrated opinions on TikTok. Others, however, were impressed by a brand as big as Coca-Cola being bold enough to use AI for a new innovative approach to crafting commercials.
The commercial was inspired by the “Holidays are Coming” ad from 1995, known for its nostalgic and warm feel. However, the brand lost that fuzzy feeling when by incorporating too much AI, ultimately losing the appeal of the human touch.
Will this commercial actually spur people to stop drinking Coca-Cola? No. With such a big name, Coca-Cola has the ability to experiment with its advertising. General audience sentiment suggests that if AI is integrated into advertising, there must be an aspect of human creativity for it to receive a positive response.
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