McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made via generative AI after receiving widespread online backlash.
The 45-second film was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally uploaded on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters criticized the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident serves as an valuable learning as we investigate the effective use of AI," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, with the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include AI tools have become a growing trend among major corporations, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips produced using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some commenters stating it might reduce opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also faced backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation highlights the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
