Agoda launches AI-generated film to celebrate global exploration

Agoda has unveiled a generative AI short film entitled 'Leo’s Magical Travel Adventures', designed to highlight global exploration and cultural diversity. The film is the latest addition to Agoda's AI series, following the popular book ‘Maya and the Secret World of Agoda’.

The storyline of the film takes viewers through various cultural hotspots: Guangzhou in China, Rotorua in New Zealand, the iconic Ayutthaya floating markets in Thailand, and the vibrant city of Udaipur in India.

Through this journey, the protagonist Leo, cousin of Maya from the book, immerses in local customs such as the Lion Dance and Holi Festival.

Among the technologies used for the film are generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4.0 and Midjourney v6.1. These were managed by Agoda’s marketing, legal, and translation teams.

Matteo Frigerio, chief marketing officer at Agoda said the project aims to illustrate the role of AI in innovation and inspire both children and adults to embrace the cultural richness of the Asia Pacific region.

Don't miss: Agoda to donate USD$1 to WWF for bookings in extended partnership

“At Agoda, our purpose is to bridge the world through travel. Travel helps people enjoy, learn, and experience the amazing world we share. Using cutting-edge AI tools to tell this story was as exciting as it was meaningful,” he added. 

'Leo’s Magical Travel Adventures' is available to view online in its original AI-authored English, with subtitles in languages including Thai, Japanese, simplified Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, and Korean.

With AI-generated content receiving all the hype this year, some companies missed the mark on campaign authenticity. In November this year, Coca-Cola released an AI-generated reboot of its classic ad, “Holidays Are Coming”, which caused quite a stir.

The ad starts out with panoramic shots of nature before panning to the iconic shot of Coca-Cola trucks making their way through the snow into neighborhoods. As the trucks move slowly, viewers see animals popping out of trees, homes lighting up for the festivities and more. 

However, the AI-generated ad saw largely negative comments with many saying they found it "distasteful", "scary", "soul-less" and "uninspiring". Some even said it looked "cheap" and that it did not bring forth the feelings that holiday ads should. 

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