McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert produced with Artificial Intelligence after receiving widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was originally published online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the use of AI in the commercial. Many described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident is an valuable learning as we investigate the appropriate utilization of AI," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that can go wrong during the Christmas break, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI tools have become a rising trend among large corporations, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because clips produced using current AI video tools are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked concerns about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters pointing out it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also faced backlash for using the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the continuing debate within the advertising and production sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
