McDonald's has taken down a holiday advertisement made with AI after facing considerable online backlash.
The short ad was created with the help of AI-generated video and was initially uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the film. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment serves as an key lesson as we investigate the appropriate application of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that might go awry during the festive season, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include AI-created content have emerged as a rising trend among prominent corporations, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos created with generative AI are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some commenters stating it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise received backlash for employing AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
