The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement made using generative AI following encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the advert. Many called it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience is an key lesson as we explore the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that can go wrong over the festive season, with the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has also launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips made with generative AI are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters noting it might reduce opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise encountered criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the continuing conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
