The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement made with generative AI after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created with the help of AI video tools and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the advert. A number of called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an valuable learning as we investigate the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that can go wrong over the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among large corporations, notably for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised worries about automation in the creative sector, with some critics noting it could affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have also faced criticism for using the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the continuing discussion within the marketing and production industries about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
