McDonald's has removed a holiday commercial produced using Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was created with the help of AI-generated video and was originally released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident serves as an key learning as we examine the proper utilization of AI," said a representative from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that can go wrong during the holidays, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that feature AI-created content have become a growing trend among large brands, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips created with generative AI are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the production industry, with some critics stating it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the development took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also faced backlash for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the ongoing discussion within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
