McDonald's has taken down a Christmas commercial made with AI following encountering significant public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was produced with the help of generative AI clips and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This experience serves as an important lesson as we investigate the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that often go badly during the holidays, with the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among prominent corporations, notably for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced with generative AI are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some commenters pointing out it could reduce work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise received backlash for using AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident illustrates the ongoing debate within the advertising and production industries about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
