McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert made using AI after encountering significant online backlash.
The short ad was produced with the help of generative AI clips and was originally published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the advert. A number of labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience is an key learning as we examine the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that often go badly during the holidays, with the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include AI tools have become a rising trend among major companies, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments produced with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the production industry, with some critics pointing out it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the response for some AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
