McDonald's has removed a Christmas advert created using generative AI after facing significant online backlash.
The short ad was produced with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. Several described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident represents an important learning as we explore the appropriate utilization of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have become a rising phenomenon among prominent brands, particularly for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because segments created with generative AI are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked worries about automation in the production industry, with some observers stating it might negatively impact work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely panned, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have also received scrutiny for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation illustrates the continuing discussion within the advertising and production industries about the balance between new tools and audience reception.
