McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advertisement made via AI after encountering widespread online backlash.
The brief ad was created via AI video tools and was initially released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the film. Several called it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment is an valuable lesson as we examine the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various things that might go awry during the holidays, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that include AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos produced using generative AI are susceptible to distort the longer they run, most such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked worries about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters noting it could affect work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop'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 shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also encountered scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
