McDonald's has taken down a holiday advertisement produced via Artificial Intelligence after facing significant online backlash.
The short spot was produced using AI video tools and was first uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the commercial. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an key lesson as we explore the appropriate application of AI," said a spokesperson from the company.
The advert was produced for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that often go badly during the Christmas break, with the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a growing phenomenon among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips created using current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked fears about automation in the creative sector, with some observers noting it could negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have also received backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
