McDonald's Pulls AI-Generated Holiday Commercial In the Wake of Online Criticism.
The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial made via AI after facing significant online backlash.
The brief spot was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media criticized the use of AI in the film. A number of called it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment is an key lesson as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a statement from the company.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various situations that can go wrong during the holidays, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Commercials that incorporate generative AI have become a growing trend among prominent companies, especially for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips made with current AI video tools are prone to degrade the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked fears about job displacement in the production sector, with some commenters noting it could negatively impact opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This was not an AI trick," she said. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also encountered backlash for using the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the ongoing discussion within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
