The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advertisement made with generative AI after encountering significant public disapproval.
The brief film was produced using generative AI clips and was first released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the commercial. A number of called it "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience represents an valuable learning as we explore the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that might go awry over the festive season, with the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among large corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since clips created using generative AI are prone to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also sparked worries about job displacement in the creative industry, with some critics pointing out it might negatively impact work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely criticized, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the ongoing discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
