The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advert created via Artificial Intelligence after encountering considerable public disapproval.
The 45-second film was developed using AI-generated video and was originally released on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Audience Response and Removal
Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the commercial. Many called it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience represents an key lesson as we explore the effective application of generative technology," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that often go badly over the holidays, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI Commercials
Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a rising phenomenon among prominent brands, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos produced with generative AI are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also provoked fears about the replacement of human roles in the creative industry, with some commenters stating it could reduce opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
Bridge claimed, the development took "over a month and a half" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas spot from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered backlash for employing the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode highlights the ongoing discussion within the marketing and production industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.
