The global fast-food chain has removed a Christmas advert made via AI after facing significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created using AI video tools and was first published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the implementation of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience represents an important lesson as we examine the effective use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that might go awry during the holidays, with the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips made with current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked worries about job displacement in the production industry, with some observers noting it could negatively impact work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the development took "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also faced criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the continuing conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
