McDonald's has removed a holiday advertisement made via generative AI following receiving considerable public disapproval.
The brief ad was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was initially uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online denounced the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many called it "disturbing" and "jarringly assembled".
"This moment is an valuable learning as we explore the proper utilization of generative technology," stated a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that might go awry during the holidays, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among large companies, particularly for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently released back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As videos produced with generative AI are more likely 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 automation in the production sector, with some critics stating it could reduce work for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "We consider it a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, several companies have likewise faced scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and audience reception.
