McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made with Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable criticism on social media.
The brief ad was developed with the help of generative AI clips and was initially published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an key learning as we investigate the proper application of AI," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that can go wrong during the holidays, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a rising trend among major corporations, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because segments made with generative AI are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked concerns about automation in the advertising industry, with some observers pointing out it could negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also encountered criticism for using AI in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the continuing conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and audience reception.
