McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement created with generative AI after facing widespread online backlash.
The brief spot was created via generative AI clips and was first released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of called it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment represents an valuable learning as we explore the effective application of AI," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that often go badly during the Christmas break, with the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate AI tools have become a growing trend among large brands, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about automation in the production sector, with some observers pointing out it might affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
