McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement created with generative AI after facing considerable public disapproval.
The short film was created using AI-generated video and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the film. Many described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident serves as an key lesson as we explore the effective use of generative technology," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong during the festive season, using the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that include AI-created content have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among prominent companies, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos created with current AI video tools are prone to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the creative industry, with some commenters pointing out it could negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" 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 commercial was largely panned, the reception for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have likewise encountered backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the continuing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
