The global fast-food chain has removed a Christmas advertisement produced with Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was developed using AI video tools and was first uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the film. A number of called it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an important lesson as we explore the effective use of generative technology," commented a representative from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that might go awry over the holidays, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have become a rising trend among major companies, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As segments produced using current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked concerns about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some critics pointing out it might negatively impact work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "It was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for employing AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
