The global fast-food chain has removed a Christmas advert made using generative AI after receiving considerable online backlash.
The brief spot was developed using generative AI clips and was initially released on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Audience Response and Decision to Pull
Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. A number of called it "creepy" and "poorly edited".
"This experience serves as an valuable learning as we explore the proper application of AI," stated a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was created for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various things that might go awry during the holidays, under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".
A Growing Trend of AI Commercials
Commercials that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among large corporations, particularly for the holiday season.
- Another beverage giant has also launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Technical Challenges: As segments created using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
- Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about job displacement in the production industry, with some commenters stating it might affect work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.
She stated, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a finished piece."
Divisive Public Reception
While the McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the sentiment for other AI-generated campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.
However, other businesses have also encountered scrutiny for using the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The incident underscores the ongoing debate within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and creative integrity.
