McDonald's Netherlands Removes AI-Created Holiday Commercial In the Wake of Public Outcry.
The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement produced using AI following encountering considerable criticism on social media.
The short film was created via generative AI clips and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.
Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media denounced the implementation of AI in the commercial. Several described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".
"This incident represents an key lesson as we explore the proper utilization of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that can go wrong over the holidays, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising
Adverts that include generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among large brands, especially for the holiday period.
- Another beverage giant has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since clips produced using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The video also raised concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some commenters stating it might reduce opportunities for camera crews.
Defense from the Production Company
Following the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.
According to her, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI trick," she commented. "We consider it a film."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the reception for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been divisive.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.
However, various brands have also encountered criticism for employing AI in advertising. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".
The incident illustrates the evolving debate within the advertising and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and creative integrity.
