McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made using AI following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The short film was created using AI video tools and was first uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online criticized the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many called it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident represents an important learning as we examine the effective utilization of generative technology," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that might go awry over the holidays, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that include AI tools have emerged as a rising trend among prominent brands, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has also launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos created using current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some critics pointing out it could affect work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for some AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "positive feedback" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise encountered criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the continuing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
