McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement made with AI after facing considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second film was created with the help of AI video tools and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Reaction and Removal
Shortly after its release, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the film. A number of called it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment serves as an valuable lesson as we examine the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the Christmas break, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Campaigns that feature AI tools have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major corporations, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Since segments produced with generative AI are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked worries about automation in the advertising sector, with some observers noting it could reduce work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI gimmick," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from viewers.
However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some described as "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the ongoing discussion within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
