Using AI in marketing is not only an efficiency choice. Audiences, creators and journalists notice — and sometimes react strongly.
What happened when big brands used AI in hero ads
- Coca-Cola re-made its classic 1995 "Holidays Are Coming" ad with generative AI in November 2024, working with AI studios. Online reaction was largely negative; viewers called it "unnatural" and "fake", and artists criticised the choice. The company said the films were made through "a collaboration of human storytellers and the power of generative AI". In November 2025 it released new AI-made holiday ads anyway.
- McDonald's Netherlands released an AI-made Christmas ad on December 6, 2025 and removed it on December 9 after viewers called it creepy and badly edited. The company called the episode "an important learning" in using AI.
What the reactions have in common
- Emotional, heritage moments carry higher expectations. AI that is fine for a product resize can feel cheap in a brand's most loved campaign.
- Visible artefacts (odd faces, stitched clips) become the story instead of the brand.
- Labour and authenticity concerns are part of the conversation: audiences ask who was replaced.
Where AI is less visible and less risky
Most AI value in marketing sits behind the scenes: research, briefs, versioning, translation, resizing, product imagery, testing and measurement. Here quality is easier to check and the audience sees only a better or faster result.
A practical stance
Decide where AI shows up in front of customers, not just whether you use it. Many brands keep hero storytelling human-led, use AI heavily in production, and are open about AI where people could be misled.