The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday commercial created using generative AI after facing widespread online backlash.
The brief film was created using generative AI clips and was originally published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the advert. A number of called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an important learning as we investigate the proper application of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong during the holidays, using the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major companies, especially for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has also launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters pointing out it might reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the development took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, other businesses 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 "disturbing".
The incident highlights the continuing conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
