McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial made using Artificial Intelligence after receiving widespread online backlash.
The brief film was produced using AI video tools and was first uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the commercial. A number of labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an key lesson as we explore the effective use of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that might go awry over the Christmas break, using the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a increasing trend among prominent corporations, particularly for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips made using generative AI are susceptible to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked worries about automation in the creative sector, with some observers pointing out it might negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, several companies have likewise faced scrutiny for employing AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the ongoing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
