The Fast-Food Giant Takes Down Artificial Intelligence Festive Advertisement After Public Outcry.
McDonald's has removed a Christmas commercial created using generative AI after receiving considerable online backlash.
The short spot was developed using AI-generated video and was first uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment represents an important learning as we examine the effective application of AI," commented a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that might go awry during the holidays, under the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among prominent corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As segments created with current AI video tools are prone to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers pointing out it might affect work for production staff.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the development required "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise encountered scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident illustrates the continuing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
