McDonald's has removed a holiday advert created using generative AI following receiving considerable public disapproval.
The brief spot was created with the help of AI video tools and was first released on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an important lesson as we examine the effective utilization of generative technology," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that might go awry during the festive season, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that incorporate AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among major companies, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has also launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips produced using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers stating it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she commented. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the reception for some AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a significant "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also faced backlash for employing AI in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident illustrates the evolving debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
