The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement created using generative AI following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The brief spot was produced via AI video tools and was originally released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the use of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an important learning as we examine the appropriate utilization of generative technology," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that can go wrong over the holidays, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include AI-created content have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among prominent brands, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked worries about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some commenters stating it might reduce opportunities for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she commented. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced scrutiny for employing AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the evolving discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
