The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday commercial made via Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially published online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the advert. Many described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment is an valuable lesson as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a statement from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that often go badly during the festive season, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that include AI tools have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips produced with current AI video tools are prone to become unstable 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 raised concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics pointing out it might negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
According to her, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she commented. "The result was a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the evolving conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and audience reception.
