The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advertisement created using Artificial Intelligence after facing significant public disapproval.
The short ad was created with the help of AI video tools and was first uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Following its publication, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This experience serves as an key learning as we investigate the appropriate use of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that can go wrong during the holidays, using the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a rising trend among large brands, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments made with generative AI are more likely to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked worries about the replacement of human roles in the creative industry, with some commenters noting it could affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise received criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
