For the 90s kid, the Coca-Cola Christmas truck is as synonymous with December 25 as Santa himself.

So, it’s little wonder that Twitter has been left saddened to see the world’s most celebrated holiday campaign tampered with in the most unnecessary of ways.

While the majority of the advert has followed the same general theme for the last 21 years, Christmas enthusiasts have noticed that missing from this year’s ad is the animated Santa Claus who winks at the little boy from the back of the Coke lorry.

Fans also discovered that the jingle at the end of the clip had been altered.

After the ad was played on UK television last night, distressed social media users raced online to discuss the changes.

What follows is just a sample of the chaos which ensued:

 

 

Moral of the story?  Don't mess with perfection.