McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial produced with Artificial Intelligence following receiving widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was produced with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an key learning as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that can go wrong during the festive season, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Adverts that feature AI-created content have become a growing trend among major corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also released consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips created using generative AI are prone to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some commenters stating it could affect work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the development required "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise received criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the continuing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
