McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert produced using Artificial Intelligence after encountering considerable online backlash.
The brief film was developed with the help of AI-generated video and was first published online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.
Viewer Criticism and Removal
Following its publication, audiences online lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many called it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".
"This incident represents an valuable lesson as we explore the effective application of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.
The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted a series of scenarios that might go awry over the festive season, using the slogan "the worst time of the year".
The Trend of AI-Generated Ads
Commercials that incorporate generative AI have emerged as a increasing trend among large companies, especially for the holiday season.
- Coca-Cola has also launched consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
- Technical Challenges: Since videos created with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be only a few seconds in length.
- Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about automation in the creative industry, with some commenters stating it might affect work for actors.
Response from the Production Company
Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.
She stated, the production process required "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".
"This wasn't an AI gimmick," she said. "It was a proper commercial."
Divisive Public Reception
While the Dutch McDonald's ad was largely criticized, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been varied.
For instance, a consecutive AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.
However, other businesses have also encountered criticism for using the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".
The episode illustrates the continuing discussion within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between technological innovation and audience reception.
