The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advertisement created using Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread online backlash.
The 45-second ad was developed via AI-generated video and was originally released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. A number of labeled it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This incident serves as an key learning as we examine the appropriate utilization of generative technology," commented a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong during the festive season, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI tools have emerged as a growing trend among prominent companies, notably for the Christmas campaign season.
- Another beverage giant has recently released back-to-back AI-generated holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As segments made with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be about short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked concerns about job displacement in the production sector, with some observers stating it might reduce opportunities for actors.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.
According to her, the creation took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".
"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "It was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was largely panned, the response for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a 61% "favorable response" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also received scrutiny for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode underscores the evolving discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
