McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advert made with Artificial Intelligence following facing significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second spot was created with the help of AI video tools and was originally published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Several described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an valuable lesson as we explore the effective application of generative technology," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that often go badly over the holidays, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Adverts that incorporate AI tools have emerged as a rising trend among prominent companies, particularly for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently released back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips made using generative AI are more likely to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked worries about job displacement in the creative industry, with some critics pointing out it might reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the reception for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise encountered criticism for using AI in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the evolving debate within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
