We wrote recently about the terrifying practical effects in the Resident Evil movie. But it seems that some moviegoers who went to see Zach Cregger's adaptation of the iconic game were subjected to an even greater horror before the film began.
In the case of the Fanta Halloween ad, the fright was unwelcome and the practical effects conspicuously absent. Yep, the Coca-Cola Company is still trying to do AI ads.
Developed by AI studio GRAiL, Fanta’s Haunted Universe is intended to serve as a platform that will help the brand "claim Halloween". If Christmas belongs to Coke, Halloween should belong to Fanta, the company thinks.
The universe has several "original" character designs, including a cyborg Frankenstein and a werewolf DJ, while Ghostface from Scream makes a guest appearance in the ad above. The idea is to make this an annual occasion, with the universe and story to develop in future years.
That won't be what some readers wanted to hear. Many people strongly oppose the use of AI imagery on ethical grounds. On social media, the reactions to the video above are no less severe than they were with the AI Coca-Cola Christmas adverts. Almost all of the comments are negative, and there are many from people vowing to never buy Fanta again.
I was at the cinema this evening and during the ads before the film there was a Hallowe’en ad from Fanta. I couldn’t quite believe my eyes, but it was certified AI slop. I couldn’t record, of course, but I’ve found it online. I’m sure the Coca-Cola Company of all companies could afford a real ad. Down with AI slop.October 1, 2026
Interestingly Fanta is the “headline sponsor” of Thorpe Park Fright Nights, which I’m attending in a few weeks. That event has been marred by its use of AI slop, examples of which have gone viral. Why is this crap inescapable?October 1, 2026
"I went to check if people were talking about this as soon as I left the theatre. Crazy they don't see how bad it looks and how it cheapens their brand," one person writes on X.
"I was watching a Tubi movie when this ad popped up and I cannot express to you how much more effort, creativity, and overall watchability went into that Tubi movie than this ad," someone else thinks.
"Makes you think what are they putting in their food to lower the production cost?" another person writes.
People who are strongly opposed to AI might be a lot louder on social media than the many more people who don't really care either way. But now the AI Coke trucks have been joined by Fanta ones, it's starting to feel like Coca-Cola's goading its critics.
"Look, we can do trucks with the right number of wheels now," it seems to be boasting, while serving up a mess of badly edited jump cuts in which the product itself looks like a toxic swill that no human should put into their body. Unlike Marmite or the new Jaguar. Coke and Fanta have traditionally been branded as universal in their appeal. So why is the world's biggest soft drinks brand now so unworried about upsetting a large portion of its customer base?
