The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement created using AI after facing considerable online backlash.
The 45-second ad was produced using AI-generated video and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an key lesson as we examine the effective utilization of generative technology," commented a representative from the company.
The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that might go awry during the Christmas break, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Adverts that feature AI-created content have become a increasing trend among large corporations, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because clips made with generative AI are prone to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked fears about job displacement in the creative industry, with some commenters pointing out it could reduce opportunities for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an experiment," Bridge asserted. "It was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also encountered scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident highlights the continuing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
