McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement produced via AI following encountering widespread public disapproval.
The brief ad was developed via AI video tools and was first released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience is an valuable lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that often go badly during the Christmas break, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have become a rising trend among prominent brands, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since clips produced using generative AI are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some critics pointing out it could negatively impact work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also received backlash for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the evolving debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and audience reception.