McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advertisement produced via generative AI after encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The short film was produced with the help of generative AI clips and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an important learning as we explore the proper utilization of generative technology," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that might go awry during the Christmas break, with the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that include AI tools have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has also released consecutive AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips made with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked concerns about automation in the advertising industry, with some critics noting it could affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also faced backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the evolving debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
