McDonald's has removed a holiday advert produced with Artificial Intelligence following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created using generative AI clips and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the implementation of AI in the film. Many described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an important learning as we investigate the proper application of AI," commented a representative from the company.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that often go badly over the holidays, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments produced with current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might negatively impact work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she commented. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also encountered backlash for employing AI in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the balance between new tools and creative integrity.
