McDonald's has taken down a holiday advertisement produced using AI following encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The brief spot was developed via generative AI clips and was initially uploaded on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Following its publication, viewers on social media denounced the use of AI in the advert. Several described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident is an key lesson as we examine the proper use of AI," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of things that might go awry during the festive season, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that include generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among major brands, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips made with generative AI are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some commenters pointing out it could affect work for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she commented. "It was a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".
The incident highlights the continuing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
