The global fast-food chain has removed a Christmas advertisement produced using Artificial Intelligence following encountering widespread public disapproval.
The brief film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an valuable learning as we examine the proper application of AI," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that can go wrong during the holidays, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have become a growing trend among large brands, notably for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has also released consecutive AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips made with generative AI are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised fears about automation in the creative sector, with some critics pointing out it might negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "It was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise received criticism for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the ongoing conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
