The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial produced using generative AI after encountering considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second ad was developed using generative AI clips and was originally released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an important learning as we explore the appropriate application of generative technology," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that can go wrong over the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI tools have become a rising phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments created with current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some commenters stating it could negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "favorable response" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise received scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the evolving discussion within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.
