McDonald's has removed a holiday commercial created with AI after receiving significant online backlash.
The brief ad was produced with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Following its publication, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident is an important lesson as we examine the effective application of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that can go wrong over the Christmas break, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that include generative AI have become a growing trend among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some commenters pointing out it might affect opportunities for actors.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise received backlash for using AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving discussion within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
