McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advertisement made with generative AI following receiving widespread criticism on social media.
The brief ad was created via generative AI clips and was initially uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Audience Reaction and Removal
Following its publication, commenters lambasted the use of AI in the film. A number of described it as "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This experience represents an valuable learning as we examine the effective use of AI," commented a representative from the company.
The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that often go badly during the holidays, under the slogan "the worst time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Campaigns that incorporate AI tools have become a growing phenomenon among major corporations, notably for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips made using generative AI are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly short in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised worries about automation in the advertising industry, with some commenters noting it could reduce work for production staff.
Defense from the Production Company
After the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a significant "favorable response" from viewers.
However, other businesses have also received criticism for using AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".
The situation illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.
