McDonald's has removed a Christmas advert made via Artificial Intelligence following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was developed with the help of AI video tools and was initially released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the film. A number of called it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident represents an key learning as we explore the proper use of generative technology," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that often go badly over the holidays, using the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that feature generative AI have emerged as a rising phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos created using generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some critics noting it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise encountered scrutiny for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the evolving conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
