McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial made using Artificial Intelligence following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created using generative AI clips and was first published online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the film. A number of called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an important lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of AI," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong over the Christmas break, using the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include generative AI have become a increasing trend among large companies, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced with current AI video tools are more likely to distort the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised concerns about the replacement of human roles in the creative sector, with some critics noting it might negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also received scrutiny for using AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the continuing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
