McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement made using AI following encountering considerable public disapproval.
The brief spot was created using AI video tools and was first released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the implementation of AI in the advert. Many called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment serves as an important lesson as we investigate the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from the company.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that often go badly during the holidays, using the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate generative AI have become a increasing phenomenon among major companies, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments made with current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked worries about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some commenters stating it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she commented. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for employing AI in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between technological innovation and audience reception.
