The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial made using generative AI following encountering significant criticism on social media.
The brief film was produced using AI video tools and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of labeled it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This moment serves as an key lesson as we explore the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that often go badly during the holidays, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Adverts that feature generative AI have emerged as a growing trend among major companies, particularly for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the advertising sector, with some commenters stating it could negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the development required "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also faced criticism for using the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode underscores the evolving debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and audience reception.
