McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial produced using generative AI after facing considerable online backlash.
The short film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was initially published publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the film. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident serves as an key lesson as we explore the proper application of Artificial Intelligence," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that might go awry during the Christmas break, with the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a increasing trend among large brands, notably for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos created using generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised fears about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some critics pointing out it could reduce work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she said. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise encountered criticism for employing the technique in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the continuing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
