The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday commercial created via Artificial Intelligence following receiving widespread online backlash.
The short film was developed with the help of AI video tools and was initially uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the advert. A number of labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an important lesson as we investigate the effective application of AI," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that can go wrong over the festive season, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a increasing phenomenon among major companies, especially for the Christmas period.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos produced with generative AI are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some critics pointing out it could affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "favorable response" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise faced backlash for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the ongoing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
