McDonald's has removed a Christmas commercial made with AI after facing widespread criticism on social media.
The short film was created with the help of AI video tools and was originally released online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. Many described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an valuable learning as we investigate the effective application of generative technology," commented a statement from the company.
The advert was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that often go badly during the festive season, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
The Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that feature generative AI have emerged as a growing trend among prominent brands, notably for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments made using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers noting it could reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," Bridge asserted. "It was a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, several companies have also faced criticism for using the technique in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
