McDonald's has taken down a holiday advert produced via Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread online backlash.
The 45-second film was developed with the help of AI video tools and was initially published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the film. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an key learning as we investigate the appropriate use of generative technology," said a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of scenarios that might go awry during the Christmas break, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that include AI tools have become a rising trend among prominent companies, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced with generative AI are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some commenters noting it could reduce work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for some AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also faced criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving conversation within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
