McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement produced with Artificial Intelligence following receiving significant criticism on social media.
The short ad was created with the help of AI video tools and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the implementation of AI in the film. Several described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment serves as an important learning as we investigate the effective application of AI," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that might go awry over the festive season, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that include AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major corporations, notably for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips created with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked concerns about automation in the creative sector, with some observers pointing out it could reduce opportunities for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also faced criticism for using AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the evolving debate within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
