McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement created using Artificial Intelligence following facing significant online backlash.
The 45-second ad was developed using generative AI clips and was first uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the implementation of AI in the advert. A number of labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an valuable lesson as we explore the effective use of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that might go awry over the festive season, with the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature AI-created content have become a rising phenomenon among major brands, especially for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about the replacement of human roles in the creative sector, with some observers pointing out it might negatively impact work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise received scrutiny for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the evolving debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
