McDonald's Netherlands Removes Artificial Intelligence Festive Advertisement In the Wake of Public Outcry.

The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday advert created using generative AI after encountering widespread online backlash.

The 45-second spot was created using generative AI clips and was first published online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Audience Criticism and Removal

Shortly after its release, viewers on social media lambasted the use of AI in the film. A number of called it "creepy" and "poorly edited".

"This experience serves as an key learning as we explore the appropriate use of AI," stated a spokesperson from the company.

The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that can go wrong during the holidays, under the tagline "the worst time of the year".

A Growing Trend of AI-Generated Ads

Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have emerged as a rising phenomenon among major brands, particularly for the holiday season.

• Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-generated Christmas commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: Because segments created with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, most such clips tend to be about short in length.
• Industry Concerns: The video also sparked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some commenters stating it might negatively impact opportunities for production staff.

Response from the Creators

After the commercial being pulled, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.

She stated, the development took "seven weeks" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

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

Divisive Audience Sentiment

While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the sentiment for some AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.

For instance, a recent AI-generated Christmas spot from another major brand reportedly received a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.

However, other businesses have also faced backlash for using the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".

The incident underscores the ongoing conversation within the marketing and creative industries about the balance between technological innovation and human craftsmanship.