The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advertisement produced via Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread criticism on social media.
The short ad was created via AI video tools and was initially uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the advert. Many described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an valuable lesson as we investigate the appropriate application of generative technology," stated a representative from the company.
The commercial was created for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong over the festive season, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include AI-created content have emerged as a increasing trend among major companies, notably for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments produced using generative AI are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked worries about automation in the production industry, with some commenters pointing out it could reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped during the edit "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, several companies have also encountered criticism for using the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the ongoing discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
