The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas commercial produced via generative AI following receiving widespread online backlash.
The brief ad was developed using AI video tools and was originally released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Removal
Following its publication, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the advert. Many called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident serves as an key lesson as we investigate the proper use of generative technology," said a representative from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various things that can go wrong over the holidays, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a growing phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips created using generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked worries about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some commenters pointing out it might affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for some AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, various brands have also faced backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the continuing discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
