McDonald's has pulled a Christmas commercial created with Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread criticism on social media.
The short film was developed using generative AI clips and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the commercial. Several described it as "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an valuable learning as we investigate the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of things that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI-created content have become a rising trend among large corporations, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips made with generative AI are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some commenters noting it might affect opportunities for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "The result was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the continuing debate within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
