The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement produced with AI following receiving considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second film was produced via generative AI clips and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment represents an important lesson as we explore the appropriate utilization of AI," commented a statement from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry over the festive season, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major brands, particularly for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced with current AI video tools are prone to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked fears about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some observers noting it could affect work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered criticism for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode underscores the ongoing debate within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
