The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas commercial created with AI after receiving widespread online backlash.
The short ad was produced with the help of AI video tools and was initially uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an key lesson as we explore the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that include generative AI have become a increasing phenomenon among prominent companies, especially for the Christmas period.
- Another beverage giant has similarly released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos produced with generative AI are prone to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers pointing out it might reduce work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have also received backlash for employing AI in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the ongoing debate within the advertising and production sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
