The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advertisement made with generative AI following facing widespread online backlash.
The 45-second ad was created using AI video tools and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience represents an valuable lesson as we explore the appropriate utilization of AI," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the holidays, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that include AI tools have become a growing trend among prominent corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos created using generative AI are more likely to distort the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked worries about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics pointing out it might reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also encountered criticism for employing the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving debate within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
