The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advertisement made via generative AI following encountering widespread public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was created using generative AI clips and was initially uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience represents an important lesson as we explore the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," stated a statement from the company.
The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that often go badly during the Christmas break, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Commercials that feature AI tools have become a increasing phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since segments produced using generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about automation in the creative sector, with some commenters noting it might negatively impact work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, various brands have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the evolving conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
