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Two of the most recognized brands in the world, Apple and Coca-Cola, have presented new visual campaigns this week that highlight an increasingly recurring dilemma. Do we continue to bet on human craftsmanship or do we prefer the efficiency of generative artificial intelligence? While Apple has based the redesign of its streaming service on real effects, Coca-Cola has once again opted for AI for its iconic Christmas advertisement.

We put you in context. Apple recently revamped its Apple TV+ service to simply become Apple TV, introducing a vibrant new logo. The company has revealed that the animation of this logo is not a digital rendering, but was created using reality-based visual effects. The process involved etching real glass pieces in a studio, capturing the reflections, colors and light directly on camera.

In collaboration with agency TBWAMedia Arts Lab, Apple’s design team created the visual identity “exploring reflection, color and light to express the spirit of cinema.” According to the company, “every flash was made for real, without computer graphics shortcuts,” as a nod to its belief that “craft should be felt, not pretended”. This philosophy aligns with its executives’ statements about valuing human artistry even while adopting AI tools.

70,000 AI attempts for an ad

At the opposite extreme, Coca-Cola has launched its new “Holidays Are Coming” ad, largely generated by AI. This is the second time the company has used this technology for its Christmas campaign, after last year it received criticism for poor results, such as unnatural faces or trucks whose wheels did not turn.

This year, the ad avoids generating realistic humans and focuses on animals like polar bears, a sloth and pandas. However, the results present visual inconsistenciessuch as a constantly changing art style and unnatural movements, similar to flat animated images without the polish of traditional 3D models. There are even animals that shouldn’t be there, given the climate of the place where the action takes place. The results are surprising, especially considering the recent improvements in this field, especially since the launch of Sora 2.

The process to reach this result illustrates the current challenges of AI. Although about 100 people participated in the project, a figure similar to that of a traditional production, five “AI specialists” were included. This team had to generate and refine over 70,000 video clips of AI to get the shots that make up the final ad.

Coca-Cola’s justification is clear: speed and cost. Manolo Arroyo, marketing director of the company, explained to The Wall Street Journal that this campaign was cheaper and faster to produce. “Before, for a project like this, we started a year in advance,” Arroyo said. “Now, you can have it ready in about a month.” Coca-Cola seems willing to assume mediocrity of results in exchange for a drastic reduction in production times.