The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement created using Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread public disapproval.
The 45-second spot was created with the help of AI-generated video and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. Several described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment represents an key lesson as we examine the effective use of generative technology," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly over the festive season, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include generative AI have become a increasing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has also released consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips created using generative AI are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it could negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
