The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement produced with Artificial Intelligence after facing considerable online backlash.
The short film was produced using AI-generated video and was originally released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the advert. Many called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an valuable learning as we investigate the proper utilization of AI," said a statement from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that can go wrong over the festive season, with the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that feature generative AI have emerged as a rising trend among large brands, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos made with generative AI are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised fears about job displacement in the production industry, with some critics noting it might affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, several companies have also faced backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
