McDonald's has taken down a holiday advert created using Artificial Intelligence after receiving significant criticism on social media.
The short ad was created via generative AI clips and was originally published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the film. Many called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident is an valuable learning as we investigate the proper use of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the Christmas break, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI tools have emerged as a growing phenomenon among large companies, notably for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked worries about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it could affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she said. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the ongoing debate within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
