McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advertisement created with AI after facing widespread public disapproval.
The 45-second film was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was originally published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an valuable learning as we explore the effective utilization of AI," stated a representative from the company.
The advert was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of things that might go awry during the Christmas break, using the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that feature AI tools have emerged as a rising trend among major brands, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips produced using generative AI are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked concerns about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers stating it might affect work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited during the edit "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise received criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the continuing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between new tools and audience reception.
