McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert produced with Artificial Intelligence following encountering widespread online backlash.
The 45-second ad was developed using AI-generated video and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Following its publication, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. A number of called it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an important lesson as we investigate the effective use of generative technology," stated a representative from the company.
The commercial was created for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that can go wrong over the festive season, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among prominent brands, particularly for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos made using generative AI are susceptible to distort the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised concerns about automation in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise received scrutiny for employing AI in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the ongoing debate within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between AI efficiency and audience reception.
