The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advert produced with Artificial Intelligence following facing significant criticism on social media.
The short spot was created via AI-generated video and was first released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the film. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment represents an key lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of AI," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong over the holidays, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent companies, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos created with generative AI are more likely to distort the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked fears about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics stating it might reduce opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise faced scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the evolving conversation within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
