McDonald's has taken down a Christmas commercial created via Artificial Intelligence following encountering widespread criticism on social media.
The 45-second film was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was first released on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Criticism and Decision to Pull
Shortly after its release, audiences online denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".
"This incident serves as an important learning as we investigate the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for the brand by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that can go wrong over the holidays, using the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".
The Movement of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that feature AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among large corporations, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Because segments created using current AI video tools are more likely to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about automation in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might affect opportunities for production staff.
Response from the Production Company
After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.
According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't just an experiment," she said. "We consider it a film."
Mixed Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a significant "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, various brands have also faced criticism for employing the technique in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the ongoing conversation within the advertising and production sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
