The global fast-food chain has removed a Christmas commercial produced via generative AI following receiving widespread online backlash.
The 45-second film was developed via AI video tools and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience serves as an valuable learning as we investigate the appropriate use of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a increasing trend among prominent brands, especially for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly released consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos created using generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some commenters stating it could negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
