McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made using Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The short ad was developed using generative AI clips and was originally released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the film. Many called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an important lesson as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that often go badly during the Christmas break, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that include generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos produced with current AI video tools are prone to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the creative sector, with some commenters pointing out it could negatively impact work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have also faced criticism for employing AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the ongoing conversation within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
