McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement created via AI following facing widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was produced with the help of AI video tools and was originally published online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an valuable lesson as we investigate the proper use of AI," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that can go wrong during the holidays, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because clips made using current AI video tools are prone to distort the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked concerns about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some commenters stating it might negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process required "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 high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "It was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise received criticism for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The incident illustrates the evolving debate within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
