McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial produced via Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The short film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment represents an key learning as we investigate the appropriate application of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that might go awry over the Christmas break, with the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips created with current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the creative industry, with some commenters stating it could affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the reception for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also encountered backlash for employing AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the evolving conversation within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
