McDonald's has taken down a holiday advertisement produced using AI following encountering considerable online backlash.
The brief spot was developed via AI-generated video and was originally released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the film. Several labeled it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an important learning as we investigate the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that might go awry during the Christmas break, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that incorporate generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since clips produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised worries about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some commenters noting it might negatively impact work for actors.
Response from the Creators
Following the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, several companies have likewise received criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the continuing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between technological innovation and audience reception.
