The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial made using generative AI following facing significant online backlash.
The short spot was developed with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Several called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an key learning as we investigate the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry during the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that incorporate AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent companies, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos produced with generative AI are prone to become unstable the longer they run, most such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked fears about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers noting it could affect work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
