The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert made with generative AI after encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was developed using AI video tools and was initially published online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. A number of labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This experience serves as an important learning as we investigate the proper use of AI," said a representative from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that often go badly over the Christmas break, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Adverts that include AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among large brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced using generative AI are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs 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 observers stating it could affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise faced scrutiny for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing discussion within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
