McDonald's has pulled a holiday advert made via AI after facing widespread online backlash.
The brief spot was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the advert. A number of called it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident serves as an important learning as we examine the effective use of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry over the holidays, using the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments created with current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked fears about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some observers stating it might reduce work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise received criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
