McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made via AI following facing widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created via AI video tools and was first published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the film. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an important learning as we examine the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that might go awry over the Christmas break, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI tools have emerged as a growing trend among major corporations, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips produced with current AI video tools are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about automation in the creative sector, with some commenters pointing out it could affect opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited during the edit "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "It was a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise encountered criticism for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The situation illustrates the continuing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
