The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advert produced with AI after receiving significant criticism on social media.
The brief spot was created via generative AI clips and was initially uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. Several described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience is an key lesson as we explore the proper utilization of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that might go awry over the festive season, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that include generative AI have become a rising trend among large corporations, especially for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos made using generative AI are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised worries about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, various brands have also received scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the continuing discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
