The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday commercial produced using AI after encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The short ad was developed via generative AI clips and was first released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the use of AI in the advert. Several described it as "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This moment is an key lesson as we explore the proper application of AI," said a statement from the company.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various things that might go awry during the Christmas break, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
The Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that include AI-created content have emerged as a growing phenomenon among prominent companies, particularly for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos created using generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the advertising industry, with some commenters noting it might negatively impact work for camera crews.
Response from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This was not an AI trick," she commented. "It was a film."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the reception for other AI-generated holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday spot from another major brand reportedly received a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, various brands have also faced scrutiny for employing AI in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The episode highlights the ongoing debate within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between new tools and audience reception.
