The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advert created via AI following facing widespread public disapproval.
The 45-second spot was developed with the help of AI video tools and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an important learning as we investigate the effective application of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of situations that might go awry over the Christmas break, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a growing phenomenon among major brands, notably for the Christmas period.
- Another beverage giant has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised worries about the replacement of human roles in the creative industry, with some observers stating it might negatively impact work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for employing AI in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between technological innovation and audience reception.
