David Bridges
Key Insights
- Ad Quality: The Porsche Christmas ad features a blend of hand-drawn and CGI elements without AI involvement.
- Viewer Reaction: Many viewers express excitement over the ad’s traditional production methods.
- Comparison: The ad contrasts sharply with the recent AI-generated McDonald’s Christmas ad, which received negative feedback.
- Brand Impact: The ad may enhance brand associations for potential Porsche buyers.
What if there were an ad on TV, and it wasn’t made with AI?
For plenty of people on the internet, that’s apparently an exciting and praiseworthy prospect. Here, for instance, is the 2025 Porsche Christmas ad:
I like this ad. It has a certain high-class elegance, but it’s also as gentle and frictionless as an episode of Cocomelon. If you’re considering being in the market for a Porsche, it might build some nice brand associations. I will never have enough money for a Porsche, so to me it’s just nice colors and music.
In the ad, the seasons change. A car gets driven around. There are little details about Porsche history and culture that reward multiple watches by Porsche aficionados. Most importantly, it has a classic 2D animated feel that comes from a mix of hand-drawings and CGI, according to a Porsche Instagram post.
What’s getting people excited, however, is the assumption that no AI was used to make it. After all, this year’s McDonald’s Christmas ad made with AI would rank high on any list of the worst ads of all time.
“Very good to see non AI stuff these days,” the top comment on the version of the ad posted by Parallel Studio, the studio that created it, says.
The advertising blog 80 Level praises the ad’s lack of AI, saying “Let’s see if the trend of promoting things as AI-free continues and how brands will approach their ads next holiday season.”
Gizmodo reached out to Parallel Studio to confirm that the ad was really made without AI, and will update if we hear back. In the meantime, YouTube uploads and social media posts from Porsche and Parallel Studio don’t mention AI. It’s not clear at this juncture where this impression is even coming from.
The Porsche ad doesn’t seem, to be clear, like it was made with AI, but that’s the case with most ads. Here’s a recent ad from Taco Bell, that, much like the good Porsche ad and the bad McDonald’s one, is a dreamy montage of disparate scenes that share a theme.
It’s the kind of thing that certainly could be AI, but no one seems to be under the impression that it is, as far as I can tell. It’s also not being praised for not using AI, again, as far as I can tell.
Nevertheless, in a world where we all have to watch ads, fewer AI duds hurting our eyes would be a welcome trend. If the Porsche ad really is meant to be an anti-AI statement, that’s terrific.
Brandon Fletcher
