McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advert made using Artificial Intelligence after receiving significant online backlash.
The brief film was created using AI video tools and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Several labeled it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience is an important lesson as we explore the proper utilization of generative technology," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that often go badly during the holidays, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include AI tools have emerged as a growing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips created with generative AI are more likely to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some observers noting it could negatively impact work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
According to her, the development took "seven weeks" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise encountered criticism for employing AI in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
