McDonald's has removed a Christmas commercial made with generative AI following receiving significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was developed via generative AI clips and was initially uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the advert. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an key learning as we investigate the effective application of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong over the Christmas break, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos created using generative AI are prone to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked fears about automation in the advertising sector, with some critics pointing out it could negatively impact work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
According to her, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited during the edit "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise encountered scrutiny for using the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The incident underscores the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
