McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement produced via Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The short spot was produced with the help of AI video tools and was initially released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the advert. Several called it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience is an important learning as we examine the proper utilization of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that can go wrong over the Christmas break, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have become a increasing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the production industry, with some commenters noting it could affect work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she commented. "It was a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from another major brand reportedly achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the ongoing discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
