McDonald's has taken down a holiday advertisement made using generative AI following encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The short ad was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was first uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the use of AI in the advert. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience is an important lesson as we explore the proper utilization of AI," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Commercials that feature generative AI have emerged as a increasing trend among large corporations, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As clips made with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also raised concerns about automation in the production sector, with some critics pointing out it could reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "It was a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also encountered criticism for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the ongoing discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
