The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advert produced with Artificial Intelligence after encountering significant online backlash.
The 45-second ad was developed using generative AI clips and was originally released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the film. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This incident represents an important lesson as we investigate the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various things that might go awry during the holidays, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a growing phenomenon among large companies, especially for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos produced with current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some observers noting it could reduce opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development required "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "The result was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also faced criticism for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the ongoing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
