McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial made using AI following encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created via AI-generated video and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an key learning as we explore the effective use of Artificial Intelligence," said a statement from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that often go badly during the Christmas break, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Adverts that include generative AI have become a increasing phenomenon among major brands, especially for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has recently released consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked concerns about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the continuing conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the balance between technological innovation and creative integrity.
