McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement produced via AI after encountering considerable online backlash.
The brief film was created with the help of AI-generated video and was first published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience is an important learning as we examine the effective use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that often go badly during the festive season, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that feature generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among large brands, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since videos produced with current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some critics noting it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she said. "It was a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have also encountered scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production industries about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
