The Fast-Food Giant Takes Down AI-Generated Festive Advertisement In the Wake of Backlash.

McDonald's has removed a Christmas advert made with AI following receiving significant criticism on social media.

The brief ad was developed via generative AI clips and was originally released on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.

Viewer Criticism and Removal

Following its publication, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the film. Several labeled it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".

"This experience represents an valuable learning as we examine the effective application of generative technology," said a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.

The commercial was created for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that might go awry during the holidays, under the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".

A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising

Adverts that include AI-created content have become a growing phenomenon among large companies, especially for the holiday campaign season.

• Another beverage giant has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: Because videos produced using generative AI are more likely to distort the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The video also provoked worries about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers stating it might negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.

Response from the Creators

Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.

According to her, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".

"This wasn't just an experiment," she said. "The result was a proper commercial."

Mixed Audience Sentiment

While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.

For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas ad from another major brand reportedly received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.

However, various brands have likewise faced scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "low-effort" and "uncanny".

The incident underscores the continuing debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.