The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advert made via Artificial Intelligence after encountering significant criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created using AI video tools and was originally uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the advert. Many described it as "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an valuable learning as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that can go wrong over the festive season, with the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that incorporate AI tools have become a increasing trend among large corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments made using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked fears about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some critics noting it could affect work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
According to her, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have also faced criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
