The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial made using Artificial Intelligence after facing widespread public disapproval.
The brief ad was produced via AI video tools and was first uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Following its publication, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the advert. A number of described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience is an key lesson as we investigate the proper application of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that can go wrong during the holidays, with the slogan "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that include generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among large companies, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the creative industry, with some commenters noting it could negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "It was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also encountered criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the ongoing conversation within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
