McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advertisement produced with Artificial Intelligence after facing significant online backlash.
The 45-second film was produced using generative AI clips and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident serves as an important lesson as we investigate the appropriate utilization of AI," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that include AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As segments produced using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some commenters stating it could negatively impact work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "It was a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise received scrutiny for using AI in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the ongoing discussion within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
