McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial produced using AI after facing widespread criticism on social media.
The short film was produced using generative AI clips and was originally published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Several called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment serves as an important learning as we examine the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that include AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among large companies, particularly for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As segments created using generative AI are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about automation in the production sector, with some observers stating it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, several companies have likewise received scrutiny for using AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
