The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advert made with AI after receiving widespread public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was developed via generative AI clips and was originally uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident is an valuable learning as we investigate the effective application of generative technology," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that might go awry during the holidays, with the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a rising trend among large corporations, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos made with current AI video tools are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about automation in the production industry, with some critics stating it could affect opportunities for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise encountered backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
