The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday commercial made with Artificial Intelligence after facing considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was created with the help of generative AI clips and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the advert. Several called it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident serves as an key learning as we investigate the effective use of AI," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that often go badly during the Christmas break, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Commercials that include generative AI have become a increasing trend among major brands, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips created with current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked fears about automation in the production industry, with some commenters noting it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, several companies have also encountered scrutiny for using AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
