McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial created via AI following encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was created using AI video tools and was originally published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the implementation of AI in the commercial. Several called it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment represents an important learning as we explore the proper utilization of AI," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that might go awry over the Christmas break, using the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that feature AI tools have become a rising phenomenon among large corporations, particularly for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because segments created with generative AI are prone to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked worries about job displacement in the production industry, with some commenters pointing out it could affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
She stated, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis achieved a significant "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also faced scrutiny for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation underscores the ongoing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
