The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advert created using AI following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally published online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Many described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident is an key learning as we investigate the proper application of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong over the festive season, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature AI-created content have emerged as a rising trend among prominent corporations, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As segments created with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked fears about the replacement of human roles in the creative sector, with some critics noting it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
According to her, the development required "seven weeks" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode underscores the continuing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
