The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday commercial produced using AI following encountering significant public disapproval.
The brief spot was created via AI video tools and was first released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the film. Many described it as "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment represents an important lesson as we investigate the appropriate utilization of generative technology," stated a representative from the company.
The advert was produced for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that can go wrong during the Christmas break, using the slogan "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among large corporations, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As segments created using generative AI are prone to degrade the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some critics pointing out it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she said. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from the public.
However, several companies have also received backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the evolving conversation within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
