The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert created via AI following encountering widespread online backlash.
The brief ad was created using AI-generated video and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the use of AI in the film. Many called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an important learning as we examine the effective utilization of generative technology," stated a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry over the festive season, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that include AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among prominent corporations, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips made using generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some observers pointing out it might affect work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have also received backlash for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the evolving conversation within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
