McDonald's has removed a Christmas advertisement made with Artificial Intelligence following encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created via generative AI clips and was first released online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many described it as "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident is an key learning as we explore the effective use of AI," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that can go wrong during the festive season, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among prominent companies, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments produced with generative AI are prone to distort the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the production industry, with some critics stating it could affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
