The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert made with generative AI following receiving significant public disapproval.
The brief film was developed with the help of AI-generated video and was first published publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters criticized the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an key learning as we investigate the appropriate utilization of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that often go badly during the holidays, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that include generative AI have emerged as a growing phenomenon among major companies, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips produced with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked fears about job displacement in the production industry, with some critics stating it could reduce opportunities for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from another major brand according to analysis garnered a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise encountered criticism for using the technique in advertising. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing debate within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
