Xmas Ads: Heaven and Hell.

Image credit: Universal

Ah, the end of the year—the season when brands attempt to pull on our heartstrings with the same sugary, predictable formula.

Some do it with genuine effort and a touch of creativity. Others, well, seem to believe their audience has the emotional depth of a snow globe and just want to limp across the finish line.

Heaven:

First up, Disney brings us “The Boy and the Octopus.” While it’s not exactly a masterpiece, it stands out from the crowd. It’s beautifully crafted, keeps you engaged for the full four minutes, and doesn’t treat its audience like they’re stupid. Most importantly, it delivers that signature “magic” Disney always aims for—perfectly on brand for a Christmas spot.

Agency: FCB London

Hell:

On the other side, we have Coca-Cola’s AI-Generated Creepiness. Their “much-anticipated” Christmas ad is here—one of them, at least—and it’s entirely AI-made. Yep, same old Christmas clichés but with a “made by AI” twist.

A Coca-Cola truck arrives in a snowy town. That’s it. Fake smiles, fake product, fake happiness. It’s hollow, lifeless, and proves that slapping AI on a concept doesn’t magically make it creative. Nothing else to add.

Agency: AIN´T

Bottom Line:

Do brands need to advertise during the holidays? If the answer is yes, maybe it’s time to revisit the brief and think hard about just how much you’re underestimating your audience. If the answer is no, save the budget and kick off the new year with a campaign that actually captivates people.

This isn’t a question to gloss over. In a red ocean of brands scrambling to spread love and spoon-feed saccharine sentiment, it might be wiser to wait until you have something truly worth sharing with your loyal followers.