McDonald's Pulls AI-Generated Christmas Ad Following Online Criticism.
The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement created with generative AI following receiving widespread online backlash.
The short film was created via AI video tools and was initially uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an key learning as we investigate the appropriate utilization of generative technology," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that might go awry over the festive season, using the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments created with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked worries about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it might negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the continuing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
