McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert made using Artificial Intelligence after facing considerable online backlash.
The 45-second film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the film. A number of called it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident serves as an valuable lesson as we explore the proper utilization of AI," said a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that often go badly over the holidays, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Adverts that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a increasing trend among major companies, especially for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As segments made using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked fears about automation in the creative industry, with some observers pointing out it could negatively impact work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then shaped during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an experiment," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received backlash for using the technique in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the balance between AI efficiency and audience reception.
