The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas commercial created using AI after receiving widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was developed using AI-generated video and was originally published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the advert. A number of labeled it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an key learning as we investigate the appropriate utilization of AI," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong during the festive season, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate generative AI have emerged as a growing phenomenon among major brands, especially for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments created using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked fears about automation in the advertising sector, with some observers stating it could affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "It was a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, several companies have likewise received criticism for using the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the evolving discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
