The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advertisement made with AI after receiving considerable online backlash.
The 45-second ad was produced via AI-generated video and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment represents an key learning as we explore the effective application of AI," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that might go awry over the festive season, with the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Campaigns that include generative AI have emerged as a growing phenomenon among major companies, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Because clips produced using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers stating it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the continuing debate within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
