The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial produced with AI following facing widespread criticism on social media.
The brief film was developed with the help of generative AI clips and was first published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the advert. A number of called it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment is an key lesson as we investigate the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include AI-created content have become a growing trend among large corporations, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips created with current AI video tools are prone to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some observers stating it might reduce opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
