The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday commercial made via Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created with the help of generative AI clips and was originally uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident represents an valuable learning as we investigate the proper use of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of situations that might go awry during the holidays, using the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI in Advertising
Adverts that include AI tools have become a rising phenomenon among large corporations, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has also launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As clips made with current AI video tools are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also sparked worries about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some commenters noting it might reduce work for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any standard production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for some AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also faced scrutiny for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The situation underscores the continuing conversation within the marketing and production industries about the balance between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
