The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advertisement created via generative AI after facing considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was originally published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the film. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience is an valuable learning as we examine the effective utilization of AI," stated a statement from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that can go wrong over the Christmas break, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that feature generative AI have become a increasing trend among major brands, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced using generative AI are more likely to distort the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about job displacement in the creative industry, with some observers pointing out it might affect opportunities for actors.
Defense from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the sentiment for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received criticism for employing AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
