The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial produced via Artificial Intelligence after encountering significant public disapproval.
The short ad was created with the help of generative AI clips and was first published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the film. Several called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an key lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," stated a representative from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that often go badly over the festive season, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Adverts that include generative AI have emerged as a rising trend among large corporations, particularly for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since clips created using generative AI are more likely to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised fears about automation in the creative sector, with some critics noting it could negatively impact opportunities for actors.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from another major brand reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have also faced backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the ongoing conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
