McDonald's has removed a Christmas advertisement made via Artificial Intelligence after receiving significant online backlash.
The short ad was produced with the help of generative AI clips and was first published publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the film. Several described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an key lesson as we examine the effective use of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that might go awry during the festive season, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI tools have emerged as a increasing trend among prominent companies, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently released consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced with generative AI are prone to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised worries about the replacement of human roles in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, various brands have also encountered criticism for employing AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the evolving conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
