McDonald's has removed a holiday commercial made using Artificial Intelligence after encountering significant online backlash.
The brief spot was developed using AI-generated video and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the film. Several called it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment serves as an valuable lesson as we explore the appropriate utilization of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the festive season, with the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that include generative AI have become a rising trend among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments created with current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised worries about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it might reduce work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident illustrates the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
