McDonald's has removed a holiday commercial produced with generative AI following encountering considerable public disapproval.
The brief ad was developed via AI-generated video and was initially published on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment serves as an key learning as we examine the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," stated a spokesperson from the company.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that might go awry over the festive season, using the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that include AI-created content have become a growing trend among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked concerns about automation in the advertising sector, with some observers noting it could reduce work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
She stated, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This was not an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise encountered criticism for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The episode illustrates the evolving debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
