McDonald's has removed a Christmas advert created with Artificial Intelligence after receiving significant criticism on social media.
The brief film was created using generative AI clips and was initially released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online denounced the implementation of AI in the advert. Many called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident represents an key lesson as we explore the proper utilization of generative technology," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that might go awry during the holidays, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that include AI-created content have become a increasing trend among major corporations, especially for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has also launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because clips created using generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some critics stating it could reduce opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered backlash for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
