McDonald's has removed a holiday commercial made via generative AI following facing widespread criticism on social media.
The brief film was produced using AI-generated video and was initially released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an important learning as we explore the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that often go badly during the festive season, using the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the creative industry, with some commenters stating it could reduce opportunities for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited 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 McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have also faced criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the continuing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and audience reception.
