Coca-Cola is at it again. Despite attracting plenty of criticism last year for recreating its “Holidays Are Coming” ad using AI, Coke has just dropped a new AI version of its iconic Christmas campaign.

That’s right — after being on the receiving end of a lot of backlash last year (with many pointing out that the three AI-generated versions featured gliding wheels and “creepy-looking” faces) — the brand is back with another AI remake.

You can watch it here.

Once again, the ad — reportedly created by Silverside and Secret Level, two of the AI studios that previously worked on the 2024 versions — is already attracting a slew of negative headlines. Sure, the wheels on the truck actually move in the latest version, but that has not stopped some to accuse the brand of once again ruining Christmas with a “sloppy eyesore”.

So have the wheels come off this time? Or were Coke right to ignore the hue and cry?

Well to help, we used our AI-powered creative testing platform to find out how the ad actually performs. Not only against industry averages, but also how to stacks up against the classic campaign and last year’s AI remakes.

It’s easy to get a little carried away by the backlash, so a deep delve into the data should provide us with some answers.

Here’s what we found:

1. The new AI remake performed pretty well when compared to industry averages

Well, the headline is that it performed pretty well.

Overall, the spot was slightly less likely to generate positive emotions than the average ad (2.1% lower than the industry norm). But for context, none of the three AI-generated Coca-Cola ads from last year managed to generate above-average positive emotions either.

Where it gets interesting is in the specific emotions it triggered.

> Viewers were 150% more likely to crave a bottle of Coke after watching compared to the benchmark. It seems like their mouths were literally watering at the sight of a Coke by the end.

> People were also 145% more likely to feel nostalgic, most likely because it reminded people of the original “Holidays Are Coming” spot (and possibly made them pine for it).

> It was 71% more likely to evoke warmth and 41% more likely to spark joy than the average ad — quite a feat for an AI-generated film.

> Other emotions that spiked well above the norm included entrancement (+43%) and calmness (+32%). All of these are key emotional drivers at Christmas.

Despite the backlash surrounding AI, this latest version was 30% less likely to generate negative emotions than the average ad. That said, distrust was 2% higher, perhaps because some of the elements — like the animal movements — don’t feel entirely real.

On the performance side, viewers were 34% more likely to recall the brand correctly, and attention levels stayed above average from start to finish. They were also slightly more likely to search for or recommend the brand, and to buy the product after watching, compared to the industry norm.

2. The latest ad outperformed the previous AI versions 

So how did it compare with the previous AI versions created last Christmas by Silverside (below), Secret Level, and Wildcard?

Pretty well, actually.

While none of the AI-produced versions managed to generate above-average positive emotions, the new 2025 remake stands out for its ability to evoke intense warmth and joy — both key emotions at Christmas and for brand Coke.

In fact, this latest AI-driven spot is 33% more likely to generate feelings of warmth and 16% more likely to make viewers feel joyful than last year’s ads. That’s impressive for an AI-generated campaign, which are often criticised for feeling a little bloodless.

Attention levels were also slightly higher — particularly towards the end of the ad — though viewers were a bit less likely to correctly name the brand afterwards.

However, they were more likely to buy the product, recommend or search for the brand, and share the ad after watching.

3. But it still fell short when compared to the original

Of course, the big question is how it stacks up against the original campaign? Well, comparing its performance to a 2020 version of the classic ad (below), the answer is it comes up slightly short.

The 2025 AI remake generated fewer positive emotions overall than the 2020 version of the classic ad. Basically, people were 7% less likely to feel intense positive emotions. Despite the ad scoring very well for feelings of warmth, viewers were 3% less likely to feel warmth than they did watching the classic ad. They were also 11% less joyful and 17% less excited. 

Interestingly, the ad was 8% more likely to make people feel nostalgic, but also more likely to leave people craving a can of Coke. Viewers were 12% more distrustful watching the 2025 AI ad than the classic. 

Attention levels were broadly the same, but brand recall was slightly below the classic ad.