The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advert produced via generative AI following encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The short film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the commercial. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience serves as an valuable learning as we examine the effective application of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that often go badly over the holidays, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI tools have become a rising phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the Christmas period.
- Another beverage giant has also launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos made with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about job displacement in the creative industry, with some observers stating it might reduce opportunities for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have also faced scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the evolving debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
