

I'd like to AI the world a Coke
20 snips Mar 19, 2025
Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola's Global VP for Generative AI, and Jason Zada, creative director at Secret Level, explore the brand's innovative use of AI in marketing. They discuss the controversy surrounding AI-generated holiday ads, reflecting on the passionate backlash they faced. Despite this, Thakar emphasizes Coca-Cola’s commitment to creative risk-taking and long-term investment in AI, while Zada shares insights on blending tradition with technology. Their conversation invites a deeper look into the evolving relationship between brands and the creative landscape.
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Coke and Christmas
- Coca-Cola's Christmas advertising significantly influenced modern Christmas iconography.
- Their 1930s ads shaped Santa's red and white suit.
Effective, Not Creative
- Coke's 1990s holiday ads, while effective, weren't peak creativity.
- New AI-generated ads achieve similar effectiveness despite backlash.
Coke's AI Initiatives
- Coke's AI initiatives include an art contest with 120,000+ submissions and a film made using Stable Diffusion.
- They also partnered with OpenAI to create the "Y3000" flavor.