McDonald's has pulled a holiday commercial created with Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The brief film was created using generative AI clips and was first published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment represents an important lesson as we explore the appropriate application of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was developed for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong over the holidays, with the slogan "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among large companies, notably for the Christmas season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As videos made using generative AI are susceptible to become unstable the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked concerns about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some critics pointing out it might reduce opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Creators
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process 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 standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, various brands have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation illustrates the continuing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
