McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial made with AI following facing considerable public disapproval.
The brief film was developed via AI video tools and was initially released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Many called it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an key lesson as we investigate the effective utilization of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly over the holidays, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Adverts that incorporate AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among prominent corporations, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has also released consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos produced with generative AI are prone to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about automation in the production industry, with some commenters noting it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the development required "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
