McDonald's has taken down a Christmas commercial created with generative AI after encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the film. Several described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment represents an important lesson as we examine the appropriate utilization of generative technology," commented a statement from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that might go awry over the holidays, using the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Campaigns that include generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments produced using generative AI are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked worries about automation in the creative sector, with some observers noting it could reduce work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise faced backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving debate within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
