The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas commercial created via Artificial Intelligence after encountering widespread online backlash.
The brief ad was created via AI-generated video and was first published publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, audiences online criticized the implementation of AI in the film. Many described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This experience is an key learning as we examine the proper use of Artificial Intelligence," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that often go badly over the holidays, with the tagline "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI Commercials
Campaigns that include AI-created content have become a growing trend among large brands, particularly for the holiday campaign season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: Because videos created using generative AI are prone to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only short in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers stating it could negatively impact opportunities for actors.
Response from the Creators
After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
According to her, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was largely panned, 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 achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, other businesses have likewise faced scrutiny for employing the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the evolving debate within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and creative integrity.
