AI-Generated Commercials Are Taking Over This Holiday Season. Here’s What Brands Should Pay Attention To.

Every holiday season brings a wave of unforgettable commercials, but this year something new is standing out. There has been a noticeable rise in AI-generated and AI-assisted holiday ads — and it is reshaping the way brands create, storytell, and connect with consumers.

What once felt futuristic is now mainstream, and some of the biggest brands in the world are embracing AI not as a gimmick but as a powerful creative and strategic tool.

And the truth is: AI in advertising is not going away. It is only getting better.

Below is a look at what’s happening, why it matters, and what today’s brands can learn from the shift.

Why AI Is Surging in Holiday Advertising

Holiday ads lean heavily on storytelling, nostalgia, and emotion — and AI allows brands to bring those ideas to life faster, more cost-effectively, and with more flexibility than traditional production.

1. Faster Production

AI shortens the entire creative cycle. Storyboarding, scripting, editing, and even generating imagery can happen in hours instead of weeks.

2. Personalized Storytelling

Brands can quickly customize ads for different regions, audiences, or buying behaviors without recreating an entire campaign.

3. Lower Costs During the Most Expensive Season

Holiday commercials usually come with huge budgets. AI reduces production expenses while maintaining visual quality.

4. Creative Freedom to Experiment

AI gives brands permission to try new ideas without enormous financial risk.

This holiday season, several companies leaned into AI in really smart and strategic ways.

Brands Using AI in Their Holiday Ads This Season

1. Amazon: “Joy Is Shared” (AI-Assisted Production)

Amazon blended traditional filming with AI-enhanced production to create sweeping winter scenes and emotion-filled visuals. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N3X5moBbAU

2. Coca-Cola: “Create Real Magic Holiday Edition”

Coca-Cola expanded its AI platform that allows users to co-create artwork with AI. The brand incorporated some of these AI-generated designs into holiday ads and packaging. See the campaign: https://www.coca-cola.com/create-real-magic

3. The Hallmark Channel: AI-Enhanced Promo Trailers

Hallmark used AI to develop multiple trailer variations for holiday movies tailored to different viewer preferences. This allowed for highly targeted promotion at scale.

4. Etsy: AI-Driven Product Storytelling

Etsy used AI tools to generate festive product scenes and backgrounds for holiday promotions, helping sellers showcase items in rich environments without traditional photoshoots.

Together, these brands are proving that AI does not replace creativity — it multiplies it.

But AI in Holiday Advertising Isn’t All Positive

As powerful as AI-generated commercials are, they come with real concerns that brands must navigate carefully.

1. Authenticity Risk

If everything looks “too perfect” or overly generated, consumers may feel disconnected. AI can’t replace genuine human emotion, and audiences can tell when something feels manufactured.

2. Ethical Questions

There are ongoing debates about AI using trained data from real artists, creators, and actors. Who owns the style, likeness, or creative essence behind AI-generated work?

3. Job Displacement Concerns

While AI enhances creativity, it also raises fears about reducing the need for designers, animators, actors, or production crews. Brands must balance innovation with responsibility.

4. “Same-Look” Saturation

As more companies use identical AI tools, visuals can start to look homogenous. Creativity becomes even more important so campaigns don’t blend together.

5. High Potential for Misuse

AI makes it easier than ever to create false imagery, misleading ads, or content that lacks brand integrity. Guardrails matter.

The takeaway: AI is powerful, but it must be used intentionally, transparently, and ethically.

What Brands Can Learn From This Moment

This holiday season has been a masterclass in modern marketing. Here are the key lessons brands should pay attention to:

1. AI works best when paired with human creativity.

The strongest ads still have emotion, heart, and meaning crafted by people. AI should support creativity, not replace it.

2. Speed and flexibility are now competitive advantages.

Brands that can produce fast, test ideas, and adapt quickly will always win the season.

3. Authentic storytelling still drives results.

Even if AI enhances the visuals, the emotional core must stay human.

4. Consumers want personalization, not perfection.

The right message for the right audience matters more than flawless production.

5. Early adopters gain momentum — but ethical adopters earn trust.

Brands that embrace AI transparently and responsibly will build deeper credibility.

Final Thoughts

The rise of AI-generated commercial content isn’t a fad. It’s a shift in how brands ideate, produce, and connect. And as more companies embrace AI in thoughtful, strategic ways, consumers will continue to see richer, more personalized, more imaginative content in their feeds.

AI gives us the tools.Human creativity gives the work meaning.

This holiday season has shown us that the brands that blend both well — are the ones people remember.