The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas commercial made using AI following receiving significant criticism on social media.
The short ad was developed with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the advert. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an key lesson as we investigate the effective application of AI," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong during the holidays, with the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a rising trend among large companies, notably for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised worries about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics stating it might negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also encountered criticism for using AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
