The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement made via Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread public disapproval.
The 45-second film was created using AI video tools and was initially published publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the advert. Several called it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident serves as an important learning as we explore the proper use of generative technology," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was developed for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of things that might go awry over the Christmas break, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Commercials that include generative AI have emerged as a rising trend among large corporations, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised fears about job displacement in the production sector, with some commenters pointing out it could affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the reception for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the evolving debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
