Coca-Cola has produced a second round of AI-generated 'Holidays Are Coming' holiday advertisements, the Wall Street Journal reports, doubling down on a production method that drew criticism when the company first tried it.

The company's iconic holiday campaign, built around the caravan of lit-up Coke trucks, has returned this season with what the Journal describes as an upgraded dose of artificial intelligence. Coca-Cola already ran an AI-assisted version of the campaign last year, and the experiment clearly survived the backlash. Verdict: it stayed.

Why does this matter to advertisers and operators?

The 'Holidays Are Coming' campaign is one of the most recognizable seasonal ad properties in the world. When the owner of that property chooses machine generation two years running, competitors and agencies read it as a signal.

For marketing and media buyers, the move touches the practical questions that dominate every AI-in-advertising debate:

• Production cost and turnaround time against traditional shooting
• Brand-consistency risk when algorithms rebuild familiar imagery
• Consumer response after the first wave of criticism

The source report does not disclose production budgets or vendor names. What it does establish is the direction of travel.

What happened last time?

Coca-Cola's initial AI-made holiday spots prompted pushback from viewers and from parts of the creative industry, who objected to a beloved handcrafted campaign being handed to machines. The company ran them anyway, and the ads aired through the season.

A brand absorbing that criticism and then ordering a second, larger helping has made its position clear. Words about craft are cheap; budget decisions are not.

What changes now?

Per the Journal's reporting, the new campaign applies a more advanced generation pipeline than the 2023 attempt — an 'upgraded dose,' in the paper's phrasing. The trucks, the lights and the seasonal pomp apparently remain the creative spine of the spots.

No figures on cost savings, media spend or audience measurement appear in the available reporting. Anyone hoping for hard numbers on whether the AI route is cheaper will have to wait for Coca-Cola's agencies or vendors to talk.

The takeaway is simple: Coca-Cola tried AI on its flagship holiday campaign, got roasted, and ordered more.