The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday commercial produced via generative AI after receiving significant public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was created with the help of AI video tools and was first released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the film. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an valuable learning as we explore the proper application of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that might go awry during the Christmas break, using the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that include AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among major brands, particularly for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked worries about job displacement in the production industry, with some observers pointing out it could reduce work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a significant "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
