McDonald's has removed a holiday advert made via generative AI following encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The short spot was produced via AI video tools and was originally published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the implementation of AI in the film. Several described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment represents an important lesson as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that often go badly during the Christmas break, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI tools have become a increasing phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised worries about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some observers noting it could affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she commented. "The result was a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, several companies have likewise encountered backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the continuing discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
