McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advertisement made using Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread online backlash.
The brief spot was developed via generative AI clips and was first uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Following its publication, commenters denounced the use of AI in the advert. Several called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an key lesson as we explore the effective utilization of AI," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the Christmas break, using the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a increasing phenomenon among major companies, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips made using generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters stating it might affect opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development required "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she commented. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the evolving debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and audience reception.
