McDonald's Takes Down AI-Created Christmas Ad In the Wake of Online Criticism.

McDonald's has pulled a holiday advert made using generative AI after facing considerable public disapproval.

The 45-second spot was created via AI-generated video and was initially published online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.

Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull

Following its publication, commenters denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. Many labeled it "creepy" and "poorly edited".

"This experience represents an valuable learning as we examine the appropriate application of generative technology," commented a representative from the company.

The advert was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that might go awry over the Christmas break, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".

A Growing Movement of AI in Advertising

Campaigns that include AI tools have emerged as a growing phenomenon among prominent brands, especially for the Christmas period.

• Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas ads.
• Inherent Limitations: As segments created using current AI video tools are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be roughly six to 10 seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked worries about job displacement in the production industry, with some observers pointing out it might reduce work for camera crews.

Defense from the Creators

Following the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.

She stated, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved producing "numerous versions" which were then edited in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't just an AI trick," she said. "It was a proper commercial."

Mixed Audience Sentiment

While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly panned, the reception for some AI-generated campaigns has been divisive.

For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "favorable response" from viewers.

However, several companies have also faced scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".

The situation underscores the evolving conversation within the advertising and production industries about the balance between technological innovation and audience reception.