The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement produced via AI after encountering widespread public disapproval.
The brief film was developed using AI-generated video and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the advert. Several called it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment represents an valuable learning as we investigate the appropriate utilization of AI," commented a representative from the company.
The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that might go awry during the Christmas break, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI tools have become a growing trend among major corporations, notably for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips created using current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised worries about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some commenters stating it could affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise faced criticism for using the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between new tools and creative integrity.
