Perez's new energy drink ad sparks debate over whether it is AI-generated

A new advertisement for H2O Power’s Sergio Perez Edition has gone viral for the wrong reasons, with Formula 1 fans questioning whether the promotional clip was generated by artificial intelligence — though that claim cannot be verified.

The video surfaced on H2O Power’s official Instagram page and quickly spread to fan forums, where viewers began cataloguing what they described as telltale visual anomalies. One Reddit user noted a particularly striking moment: “At 00:30, the biker over his left shoulder slowly turns into a runner whose helmet turns into hair, and then the bicyclist behind the new runner splits into two bikers to replace the old one.”

The reaction was split. Some fans were openly critical of the production, describing it as having an “uncanny valley” feel and questioning whether marketing teams genuinely believe such visuals resonate with audiences. Others took a more pragmatic view, arguing that the controversy itself was proof the campaign was working.

“This is already everywhere, just go out and look at local advertising. I know Reddit hates it and yes it’s s***, but reality is the average person couldn’t care less,” one user wrote, while another simply responded: “Welcome to the future!”

Several fans also defended Perez’s decision to attach his name to the product, regardless of how the ad was made. “I hate it too, but if I could make a sload of money by doing nothing and just letting a company use my name and likeness for a (probably s*y) energy drink and have no real liability, I’d 100,000% do it,” one commenter posted.

Others pointed out the self-fulfilling logic of the backlash: “People don’t need to find it appealing, they just need to see it enough times and like Checo beforehand,” one fan wrote, with another adding simply: “We’re talking about it, right?”

H2O Power is one of many commercial partners associated with the Cadillac driver. Perez’s wider sponsorship portfolio includes KitKat, Nescafe, Telcel, Claro, Banamex, Mercado Libre, McDonald’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Mobil, and several other brands.