McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial made with Artificial Intelligence after facing widespread online backlash.
The 45-second spot was created using AI video tools and was first published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the film. Several labeled it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience is an key learning as we explore the proper use of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong during the Christmas break, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature generative AI have emerged as a increasing trend among major companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos produced using generative AI are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked worries about automation in the creative industry, with some observers pointing out it might reduce work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also faced scrutiny for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the continuing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
