McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement made with AI after encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was produced using AI video tools and was first published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. A number of labeled it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident is an valuable learning as we examine the appropriate application of generative technology," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various things that can go wrong during the Christmas break, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI tools have emerged as a growing phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos made with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked concerns about automation in the production sector, with some commenters noting it might affect work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
After the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she said. "The result was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the reception for some AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced criticism for using the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the continuing debate within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
