The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday commercial produced with AI after facing widespread online backlash.
The brief spot was produced using generative AI clips and was originally released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the film. Several described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience represents an important lesson as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that can go wrong during the festive season, with the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include AI-created content have emerged as a increasing trend among major companies, notably for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has also launched consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising industry, with some observers noting it could reduce opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "It was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise received criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation illustrates the ongoing discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
