McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial created via Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created using AI video tools and was first released online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online denounced the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident serves as an valuable learning as we investigate the proper utilization of generative technology," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, with the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among major corporations, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised concerns about automation in the creative industry, with some observers stating it might negatively impact opportunities for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the continuing conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
