The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advertisement produced using Artificial Intelligence after encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The short film was developed using AI-generated video and was originally released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the advert. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This incident serves as an valuable learning as we examine the appropriate utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly during the Christmas break, with the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Adverts that include generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among major companies, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has recently released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked concerns about automation in the production industry, with some observers stating it could reduce opportunities for actors.
Response from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an experiment," she said. "The result was a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise encountered scrutiny for employing the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the continuing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
