The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas commercial produced via Artificial Intelligence following facing significant criticism on social media.
The 45-second ad was developed using AI-generated video and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the film. Several called it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience is an important lesson as we examine the appropriate use of generative technology," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the Christmas break, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI in Advertising
Adverts that include AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the holiday campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has also released consecutive AI-created Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos created with generative AI are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the creative industry, with some commenters pointing out it could negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have also encountered scrutiny for using the technique in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
