McDonald's Pulls Artificial Intelligence Holiday Commercial In the Wake of Public Outcry.

McDonald's has pulled a holiday advertisement made with generative AI following encountering widespread criticism on social media.

The short ad was produced via AI-generated video and was first published on the YouTube channel for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.

Social Media Response and Decision to Pull

Following its publication, viewers on social media lambasted the use of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".

"This experience serves as an important lesson as we explore the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," stated a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.

The commercial was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that might go awry during the festive season, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".

A Growing Trend of AI Commercials

Commercials that include generative AI have become a rising phenomenon among major corporations, notably for the Christmas campaign season.

• Another beverage giant has recently released consecutive AI-generated holiday commercials.
• Technical Challenges: As clips produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
• Broader Implications: The video also provoked concerns about automation in the production sector, with some commenters noting it could affect opportunities for production staff.

Response from the Creators

Following the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.

She stated, the production process required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then edited afterward "just as we would on any high-craft production".

"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "It was a film."

Divisive Public Reception

While the McDonald's commercial was mostly panned, the sentiment for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.

For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas spot from Coca-Cola reportedly received a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.

However, various brands have likewise encountered scrutiny for employing AI in marketing. Italian fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".

The incident highlights the ongoing debate within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between new tools and audience reception.