The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday commercial made using AI following facing widespread online backlash.
The short film was created using AI video tools and was originally released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. Several called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience is an important learning as we investigate the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong over the holidays, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include AI tools have emerged as a growing trend among prominent companies, notably for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips made with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it could reduce work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then shaped during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from the public.
However, other businesses have also received backlash for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the evolving discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
