McDonald's has removed a holiday advert produced with AI after facing significant online backlash.
The 45-second film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the implementation of AI in the film. Several described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment serves as an key learning as we examine the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry during the holidays, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include AI-created content have emerged as a increasing trend among large companies, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As segments produced with generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked fears about job displacement in the production industry, with some observers stating it might reduce work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following 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 "thousands of takes" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have also received backlash for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the evolving discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
