McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advertisement created via AI following facing considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second spot was produced with the help of generative AI clips and was first released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an important lesson as we explore the proper application of generative technology," commented a representative from the company.
The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among prominent companies, notably for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has also launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some commenters stating it might affect work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the reception for some AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise received backlash for using AI in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between new tools and audience reception.
