The Fast-Food Giant Pulls AI-Created Festive Advertisement Following Public Outcry.
The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement produced via Artificial Intelligence following receiving significant criticism on social media.
The short spot was developed with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the commercial. A number of labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience is an key learning as we investigate the effective application of AI," said a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the festive season, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have become a rising phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips made with generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some critics stating it might reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
She stated, the development took "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped during the edit "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise encountered backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
