The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advert produced with AI following receiving widespread online backlash.
The brief ad was produced via AI-generated video and was initially released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. Many labeled it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an valuable learning as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that might go awry over the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently released back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As segments produced using current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about the replacement of human roles in the creative sector, with some critics pointing out it could affect opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise faced scrutiny for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the continuing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
