McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made via generative AI following facing considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was produced with the help of AI video tools and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident represents an key lesson as we examine the appropriate utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that often go badly over the festive season, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among large corporations, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked concerns about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers stating it could reduce work for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the development took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise received criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
