The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday commercial produced with generative AI after encountering significant criticism on social media.
The brief ad was developed using AI-generated video and was originally uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the implementation of AI in the film. Several described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment represents an key lesson as we investigate the proper use of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature AI tools have emerged as a rising trend among major corporations, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments made using generative AI are prone to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked worries about automation in the production sector, with some commenters stating it might negatively impact work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have also encountered criticism for using the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the evolving conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
