AI is increasingly used in advertising, yet many AI-generated campaigns produce clichéd, low-quality results that fail to resonate. Major brands experimented with AI-driven ads that drew public criticism for soulless visuals, stereotyped imagery, and weak execution. Coca-Cola's 2024 holiday spot relied on predictable festive tropes and an overproduced jingle, prompting strong fan backlash. Volvo's campaign used AI-generated clips with a grainy filter and sentimental scoring that viewers labeled lazy. Online commentary included sharp mockery and pointed industry critique, underscoring the persisting value of human creativity in brand storytelling.
If, like me, you're prone to a bit of AI existentialism, it can be refreshing to remember that AI is still routinely churning out slop - and you best believe the internet is calling it out. From embarrassingly obvious AI blunders to shameless artificial adverts, these are just a few of the most recent AI branding fails that prove human creativity is still superior.
We're kicking off this list with a cracker from 2024's festive season - Coca-Cola's 'Holiday Magic is Coming' ad. Instead of 'magic', viewers received a lacklustre advert jam-packed with Christmassy stereotypes alongside a convoy of Coca-Cola trucks delivering soulless AI cheesiness (don't even get me started on that tacky jingle). Dating back to 1995, Coca-Cola's Holidays are Coming ad is widely considered one of the best Christmas adverts of all time, so you best believe fans had some strong reservations.
Our next offender is the car brand Volvo with its 'Come Back Stronger' campaign. Commemorating the brand's return to Saudi Arabia, the ad features AI-generated clips with a grainy filter slapped over the top, in what I can only assume was an attempt at a cinematic aesthetic. Even the ad's sentimental piano score and soothing voice-over couldn't salvage the obvious slop, and naturally, the internet was appalled by the "lazy" ad.
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