McDonald's has taken down a holiday advertisement made via generative AI following receiving significant public disapproval.
The brief film was developed using generative AI clips and was originally published online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This incident serves as an key lesson as we examine the proper utilization of generative technology," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that often go badly over the Christmas break, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate generative AI have become a increasing phenomenon among prominent brands, particularly for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced with current AI video tools are prone to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some critics noting it could reduce work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for employing AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
