The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas commercial produced via AI following receiving widespread criticism on social media.
The short film was developed with the help of generative AI clips and was originally released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online criticized the implementation of AI in the advert. Several called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience serves as an valuable learning as we explore the appropriate application of Artificial Intelligence," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, using the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Commercials that feature AI tools have become a increasing phenomenon among major corporations, especially for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments created with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics noting it might reduce work for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the development required "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive feedback" from the public.
However, various brands have also received backlash for using the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The incident illustrates the ongoing discussion within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
