McDonald's has removed a Christmas advert made via Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second spot was developed with the help of AI video tools and was originally published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment represents an important lesson as we examine the appropriate utilization of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that might go awry over the festive season, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Adverts that feature generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among prominent corporations, particularly for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has also released consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments created with generative AI are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked fears about automation in the advertising sector, with some observers stating it might affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the development took "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, several companies have also encountered scrutiny for employing AI in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
