For Christmas, I’m giving you a recap of the ads that have stood out to me since Numerika’s creation, at least since November. This is my ranking. There’s nothing objective about it. Don’t see one ad as better than another. Just know that everyone can have their own appreciation.
My Favorite: I’m not Remarkable (Apple)
It’s my little good Samaritan side that makes me choose this very beautiful work, this little gem, I would even say, Apple’s advertisement, to promote the accessibility of its products. Remarkable music, remarkable actors (without AI, I want to specify), an insane rhythm, a universal message, and an extremely successful overall package that proves you don’t have to talk about disability by trying to elicit tears at all costs, but by showing the good side of life, as everyone can experience it, disabled or not. It’s an ad, okay, but not just that. And, after all, there’s nothing stopping brands from delivering humanist messages, even if it’s to make a crazy amount of money, as a certain president from our country would have said.
Humor Award: IKEA Italy
It’s not a 2025 ad, but since we’re in the Christmas spirit, I’m including it again. And after all, I have the right to do what I want. Here, we have a little gem of humor that I would describe as British, even if it was designed by an Italian agency. It’s very simple and very funny at the same time, and it answers a question that has surely worried us all: what would happen if the elevator taking us home broke down on Christmas Eve? IKEA has the answer, and it’s a real treat.
Controversial Humor Award: McDonald’s
Here’s the 2025 Christmas ad that received the biggest backlash at the end of the year, to the point that the brand withdrew it from circulation! An ad entirely generated by AI, which goes against the traditional Christmas message: we see people falling, stumbling, making mistakes – in short, all the world’s misfortunes befalling happy families preparing to spend the evening together, but whom fate has decided to tease a little. It’s daring, especially when most Christmas messages often border on absolute mawkishness (see the Coca-Cola or Intermarché ads), and when the period is not for humor, but rather for introspection, for the need for love, and for that, there’s nothing better than family. I wonder if, deep down, it wasn’t the message, rather than the AI, that presided over the tragic fate of this ad!
Most Incredible Buzz Award: Intermarché
An ad that is seen is a successful ad. I’ve already dedicated two articles to the Intermarché ad. What more is there to say about it? I’ll confess something and sound like a grump, but I don’t find this ad all that extraordinary, and especially, quite mawkish (you’ll notice I calibrate my appreciation of Christmas ads with a « mawkish-o-meter » that measures the degree of exaggerated good feelings). Another real problem is its rather ambiguous message: change yourself to be accepted, become vegetarian, but still eat fish. Strange, unless you know that Intermarché owns one of the largest fishing fleets in France. The ad played to its audience’s emotions and succeeded perfectly, generating over a billion views, a lawsuit, and an extraordinary Christmas gift for the (French) studio that created it.
Animation Award: Porsche
Yes, well, I know, I create awards according to my desires. I have the right, I’m at home, I do what I want.
This ad (another French animation product) uses some traditional animation canons to highlight an old Porsche model, thereby demonstrating submission to the brand’s immortality, passing through ages and eras, whatever the mood. Well, knowing that Porsche has had its worst year since its creation, it might be more a message of hope than an advertisement, but let’s not spoil our fun; the execution is nice, the spirit is cool, and there’s no AI in it (which will delight anti-AI advocates who seem to prioritize this criterion over any notion of creativity, intelligence, or commercial effectiveness).
Ads That Don’t Make the Cut
Apple Christmas Ad
Among the ads that disappointed me is Apple’s Christmas ad… made entirely by hand, without AI, but not without special effects (where’s the difference, one wonders). Frankly, it doesn’t make the cut. Besides, no one talked about it, except me, which proves I’m an easy man when it comes to advertising.
Coca-Cola Christmas Ad
Coca-Cola was luckier than McDonald’s, as it didn’t have to withdraw its famous Christmas ad, entirely made with AI. I don’t know what to say about it. It’s marshmallowy, cheesy, dripping, ugly, uninteresting, full of errors and inconsistencies (see examples with the trucks here), but it’s Coca-Cola… so…
To conclude…
I take away only one lesson from all these advertisements. Be creative! Whether with AI or not, it’s the artistic gesture that counts, the intention. You can make very good ads with very little and very bad ads with a lot of resources. The important thing is to convey a message, to be seen, and to have people talk about your brand. I don’t know if the massive arrival of generative AI will change much in this paradigm. The technology seems enchanting, but it’s far from magical and especially from being able to indulge in all fantasies. In reality, it’s still a limited tool that will develop in the coming years and will undoubtedly be implemented with other means of creating images. Today, the main problem with AI is its very bad reputation among certain categories of image workers.
Laisser un commentaire