Coca-Cola is ringing in the holidays with a refreshed take on one of advertising’s most enduring seasonal traditions.
Launching today, “Refresh Your Holidays” is the latest campaign from WPP Open X, led by VML and supported by EssenceMediacom and Ogilvy. The new work blends AI and human craft to reimagine Coca-Cola’s “The Holidays Are Coming” formula that has defined the brand’s festive marketing for more than 30 years.
This time, a convoy of light-wrapped red trucks once again cuts through a snowy landscape, sparking joy among animals and people alike. Polar and panda bears share the frame, while that familiar choral soundtrack swells toward its signature Christmas crescendo.
Coca-Cola’s holiday work has not been without controversy, after last year’s AI-driven campaign drew debate inside the industry and beyond. Despite the backlash, the company has again used AI to refresh “Holidays Are Coming,” while emphasizing it was made through “a collaboration between human creativity and cutting-edge technology.”
The ad features a hyper-real aesthetic built from more than 70,000 video clips, giving the film a cinematic sheen that merges human craft with machine capability. The spot’s updated character designs—like this year’s mischievous squirrels—showcase how AI is being woven deeper into Coca-Cola’s visual storytelling.
The campaign also includes a 30-second short called “A Holiday Memory,” in which a woman takes a quiet moment from trimming her tree. After a sip of Coke, a Christmas bauble springs to life, triggering warm recollections of family and music, including a rousing “Feliz Navidad.” It will run across North America, Latin America, and Asia South-Pacific markets.
Together, the two films celebrate connection and reflection that brings people closer during a busy season.
Islam ElDessouky, global vice president creative strategy and content at Coca-Cola, said the campaign was created for those who make the holidays special every year.