McDonald's has taken down a Christmas commercial made via Artificial Intelligence after receiving significant criticism on social media.
The brief film was developed using AI video tools and was originally released online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Social Media Criticism and Removal
Shortly after its release, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the film. Several called it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This moment is an valuable lesson as we examine the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that can go wrong during the holidays, under the theme "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature generative AI have emerged as a growing phenomenon among major corporations, particularly for the Christmas campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips made with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also raised worries about job displacement in the production sector, with some commenters noting it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped afterward "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have likewise received backlash for employing AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the ongoing discussion within the advertising and production industries about the balance between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.
