The Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Marketing Communications

This bachelor’s thesis examines the use of generative artificial intelligence in marketing communications. It aims to evaluate this use through the case of Coca-Cola’s Christmas marketing communication and to explore how members of Generation Z perceive marketing content created using generative artificial intelligence. This thesis combines a case study with original qualitative research conducted through semi-structured interviews with Generation Z participants. The case study compares the brand’s historical Christmas marketing communication with the 2025 campaign, which incorporated generative artificial intelligence into its production. The comparison reveals a tension between production efficiency and perceived authenticity. Although the campaign achieved measurable brand recall, public reactions highlighted technical flaws and a diminished sense of nostalgia attributed to the absence of a human element. The original research found that Generation Z is able to identify content generated by generative artificial intelligence with an overall accuracy of 80%. In making these judgments, respondents relied primarily on their perception of naturalness, the fluency of movement, and the physical plausibility of depicted scenes. Generation Z’s attitudes towards the use of generative artificial intelligence in marketing communications are conditional rather than explicitly negative. Three main factors shape their evaluation: output quality, the preservation of the human element in the creative process, and transparent disclosure of the content's origin. Based on these findings, the thesis concludes with a set of practical recommendations for the use of generative artificial intelligence in marketing practice.