McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert made using AI after receiving considerable public disapproval.
The short spot was produced using generative AI clips and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of called it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an valuable learning as we investigate the proper use of generative technology," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of situations that often go badly over the holidays, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature generative AI have emerged as a growing trend among prominent companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos made using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked concerns about automation in the advertising sector, with some commenters noting it could reduce work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI trick," she commented. "It was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also encountered criticism for using the technique in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing discussion within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
