The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert produced with Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was developed with the help of AI-generated video and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online denounced the use of AI in the advert. Several called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an key learning as we investigate the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that might go awry over the holidays, with the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have emerged as a growing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips made using generative AI are prone to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked fears about automation in the advertising industry, with some critics pointing out it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered criticism for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the continuing discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
