McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement produced with AI following encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The short ad was developed with the help of generative AI clips and was first published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an important lesson as we examine the effective utilization of AI," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that often go badly over the festive season, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that feature AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among major brands, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because clips created with current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised worries about automation in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it might negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from the public.
However, other businesses have also faced scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the evolving debate within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.