The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advertisement made via AI after encountering considerable online backlash.
The short film was produced with the help of AI video tools and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an important learning as we examine the effective application of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that can go wrong over the Christmas break, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a increasing trend among major brands, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has also launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced with generative AI are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked fears about automation in the advertising industry, with some observers pointing out it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
According to her, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, various brands have also received criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
