McDonald's has pulled a holiday advert produced with Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread public disapproval.
The brief film was created via AI-generated video and was initially published online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience serves as an key learning as we examine the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that can go wrong over the holidays, with the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that incorporate AI tools have become a increasing phenomenon among prominent brands, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips created using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised fears about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some critics stating it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the sentiment for some AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, several companies have also faced scrutiny for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the continuing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
