McDonald's has taken down a holiday advert made with Artificial Intelligence following receiving significant online backlash.
The 45-second film was created via AI-generated video and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. A number of called it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment represents an key learning as we examine the effective utilization of generative technology," stated a representative from the company.
The commercial was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that often go badly over the Christmas break, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Adverts that feature generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among major corporations, particularly for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because videos produced with current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised worries about job displacement in the creative industry, with some commenters noting it could affect opportunities for production staff.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis garnered a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, various brands have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the evolving debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
