AI vs. Nostalgia: Decoding the Emotional Impact of Coca-Cola's Holidays Are Coming Ads
I analysed the very controversial 2024 AI holidays are coming advert from Coca Cola to check how people truly felt about it
11/29/20243 min read
Coca-Cola’s AI Christmas Ad: Soulless or misunderstood?
Coca-Cola’s AI-powered Holidays Are Coming ad has faced criticism for being "creepy" and lacking the magic of the 1995 original. Using Realeye.io, I analyzed unconscious reactions to both ads through:
Eye-tracking to measure attention levels
Facial emotional recognition to assess joy and surprise
Testing claims about the AI visuals being unsettling
The data revealed a surprising mismatch. While critics found the AI ad eerie, viewers’ emotional and attentional responses were positive. This suggests the backlash might reflect bias against AI rather than issues with the ad itself.
Summary of Findings
A mismatch between claims and unconscious reactions: Critics called the AI ad "creepy," yet it evoked consistent engagement and positive emotions.
AI ad sustained slightly greater attention: The AI version held viewers’ focus better overall.
1995 ad triggered sharper attention peaks: Its lower-quality visuals caused fluctuations but created moments of intense engagement.
Joy lasted 63% longer during the 1995 ad: Nostalgia and relatable scenes created stronger, lasting happiness.
Similar imagery evoked happiness in both ads: Critics' complaints about "creepy" AI characters didn’t align with emotional data.
The AI version Sustained Slightly Higher Attention
The AI version consistently held attention, with an average score of 0.3 versus the 1995 ad’s 0.2 (on a scale from -1 to +1). Consistent engagement like this often predicts better ad performance. However, high attention doesn’t reveal whether viewers liked or disliked what they saw, it only shows that the ad kept them watching.
The green line shows avarage attention while watching the 'AI advert
The green line shows avarage attention while watching the AI advert
Joy Lasted 63% Longer in the 1995 Ad
Happiness spiked higher and lasted longer during the 1995 ad. Its human characters and relatable, heartwarming scenes resonated more deeply. The AI ad, while triggering happiness, did so less intensely and for shorter periods.
Key takeaway: Nostalgia creates emotional highs, but consistent engagement might favor modern production techniques.
The green line shows avarage attention while watching the '95 advert
The green line shows avarage attention while watching the '95 advert
Both Ads Triggered Joy Through Similar Imagery
Key takeaway: The emotional warmth of the original ad remains unmatched, underscoring AI’s struggle to replicate authentic human connection.
Viewers reacted positively to brand elements and moments featuring people in both ads. This contradicts claims that AI-generated characters seemed “uncanny” or unsettling. No significant surprise was recorded, suggesting the AI visuals didn’t feel as unnatural as critics suggested.
Key takeaway: Negative reactions to the AI ad may stem from bias against AI rather than its actual imagery.
Final Thoughts
While the 1995 ad emerged as the clear emotional winner, the AI version performed surprisingly well. Viewers were attentive and even happy while watching it, revealing a disconnect between public criticisms and unconscious responses.
This suggests that backlash against the AI ad may reflect broader concerns: AI feels cold and impersonal, clashing with the warm, nostalgic values of Coca-Cola’s Christmas branding. Moving forward, brands should consider blending AI's advantages with storytelling elements that evoke human connection to resonate more deeply with audiences.