The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement created using AI after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was produced with the help of AI video tools and was first published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the film. A number of labeled it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident is an valuable lesson as we investigate the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly over the holidays, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among prominent companies, particularly for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has also launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips made with current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked concerns about automation in the production sector, with some commenters noting it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for employing AI in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the evolving conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
