The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement created with generative AI after encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The brief film was produced using AI-generated video and was initially published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident is an valuable learning as we examine the appropriate utilization of AI," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that often go badly over the festive season, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among major companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked worries about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some observers pointing out it could affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise faced criticism for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
