McDonald's has removed a Christmas commercial produced with generative AI after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was created using AI video tools and was originally uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the advert. Several called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This experience is an important learning as we investigate the effective application of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that often go badly over the Christmas break, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that incorporate AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced with current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about automation in the creative industry, with some critics noting it might negatively impact work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, various brands have also faced backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
