The global fast-food chain has removed a Christmas commercial made with Artificial Intelligence after encountering considerable public disapproval.
The brief film was produced using AI video tools and was first uploaded publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, commenters denounced the implementation of AI in the film. A number of described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment serves as an important learning as we investigate the appropriate utilization of AI," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that can go wrong during the festive season, with the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among large companies, notably for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips produced using generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised fears about job displacement in the advertising sector, with some observers noting it could reduce work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "It was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the response for other AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, several companies have also received scrutiny for using AI in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
