The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advertisement created with Artificial Intelligence following facing widespread online backlash.
The brief film was created using generative AI clips and was first released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. Several called it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This experience is an key learning as we investigate the proper utilization of AI," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that often go badly during the festive season, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that include AI-created content have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among large brands, especially for the Christmas period.
- Another beverage giant has also released consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because segments created with generative AI are prone to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked worries about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some commenters stating it might affect work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise received backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the evolving debate within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
