McDonald's has removed a Christmas commercial created with AI after receiving widespread online backlash.
The short ad was developed with the help of AI-generated video and was originally published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the film. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience represents an valuable lesson as we examine the effective utilization of AI," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that often go badly during the festive season, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI tools have become a increasing trend among large brands, notably for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has also released consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips produced using generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters noting it might affect work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also encountered backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the continuing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
