The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert produced using Artificial Intelligence after encountering significant public disapproval.
The short spot was created via AI-generated video and was first uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. Many described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an valuable lesson as we explore the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of things that often go badly during the Christmas break, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Movement of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have emerged as a growing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the longer they run, most such clips tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked fears about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some commenters noting it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have also received criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the continuing conversation within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
