McDonald's has removed a Christmas advertisement made using Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable online backlash.
The brief ad was developed using AI-generated video and was first published online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Viewer Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the film. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident represents an valuable lesson as we examine the proper application of Artificial Intelligence," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was created for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of things that often go badly during the holidays, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among large corporations, notably for the Christmas season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos produced using generative AI are susceptible to distort the longer they run, most such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers pointing out it could affect work for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.
However, several companies have likewise received backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing conversation within the marketing and production sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
