McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial created with Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second spot was created with the help of AI video tools and was first uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online denounced the use of AI in the commercial. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident is an valuable learning as we examine the appropriate utilization of Artificial Intelligence," stated a statement from the company.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various scenarios that often go badly during the festive season, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent brands, particularly for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments created with generative AI are prone to distort the longer they run, most such clips tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers pointing out it might affect work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved producing "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also encountered backlash for using the technique in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
