The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advertisement created via Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The brief spot was produced with the help of generative AI clips and was originally uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online denounced the use of AI in the film. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an key learning as we investigate the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that can go wrong over the festive season, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As segments produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some critics stating it might reduce work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "positive feedback" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise received backlash for using AI in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
