The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advertisement made with generative AI following encountering considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second spot was produced via generative AI clips and was initially uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience serves as an key lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that might go awry over the festive season, using the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major brands, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked worries about automation in the production sector, with some critics noting it might affect work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise received scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the evolving debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
