McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement produced with AI after receiving widespread online backlash.
The short spot was produced using AI-generated video and was originally published publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the use of AI in the advert. Several called it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident is an key learning as we investigate the appropriate use of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly over the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature generative AI have become a increasing trend among prominent companies, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced with current AI video tools are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the creative industry, with some commenters stating it could reduce work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise received scrutiny for using AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some called "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode underscores the continuing debate within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
