McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement made with AI following encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was developed using AI video tools and was originally released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the film. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident represents an valuable lesson as we investigate the proper use of AI," stated a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the festive season, with the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among major brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments created using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised fears about job displacement in the production industry, with some commenters stating it could reduce work for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," she commented. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise faced backlash for using the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the ongoing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
