McDonald's has removed a holiday advert created with AI following facing significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was produced via generative AI clips and was first published online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the film. A number of labeled it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment serves as an key lesson as we investigate the effective use of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that might go awry over the holidays, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Commercials that feature generative AI have become a rising trend among major companies, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips produced with generative AI are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked worries about automation in the creative sector, with some commenters pointing out it might reduce opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.
However, several companies have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the evolving discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
