McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement made with AI after encountering considerable online backlash.
The brief film was created via AI video tools and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an valuable lesson as we explore the effective utilization of AI," stated a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that can go wrong during the festive season, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have become a increasing phenomenon among major companies, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments produced with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about job displacement in the creative industry, with some critics noting it could reduce work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise received criticism for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
