McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial produced with Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.
The brief film was produced with the help of AI-generated video and was first published online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Decision to Pull
Following its publication, viewers on social media lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. Many called it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".
"This incident serves as an valuable lesson as we examine the appropriate utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from the company.
The advert was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of things that might go awry during the holidays, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".
The Phenomenon of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that feature AI tools have emerged as a increasing trend among prominent companies, particularly for the Christmas period.
- Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
- Inherent Limitations: As clips made using current AI video tools are more likely to distort the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked fears about automation in the production industry, with some observers noting it could reduce work for camera crews.
Response from the Creators
After the video's removal, a producer's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.
According to her, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".
"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a finished piece."
Mixed Audience Sentiment
While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.
For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from another major brand reportedly garnered a significant "favorable response" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics called "cheap" and "disturbing".
The situation highlights the continuing discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
