McDonald's Netherlands Takes Down AI-Created Holiday Commercial After Public Outcry.

McDonald's has removed a holiday advert created with AI following facing considerable online backlash.

The short film was developed with the help of AI video tools and was first uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.

Audience Reaction and Removal

Soon after it aired, viewers on social media lambasted the implementation of AI in the commercial. Many called it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".

"This incident represents an important lesson as we explore the proper use of AI," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.

The commercial was produced for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that often go badly during the holidays, using the theme "the worst time of the year".

The Trend of AI in Advertising

Adverts that include AI tools have become a rising phenomenon among major brands, particularly for the Christmas period.

• Coca-Cola has similarly released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: As videos made using generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, most AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about automation in the creative industry, with some observers pointing out it could negatively impact opportunities for actors.

Response from the Production Company

Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.

Bridge claimed, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved generating "numerous versions" which were then crafted in post-production "in the same way we would on any standard production".

"This wasn't an experiment," she said. "We consider it a film."

Divisive Audience Sentiment

While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was mostly criticized, the response for other AI-assisted campaigns has been divisive.

For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday spot from Coca-Cola according to analysis garnered a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.

However, several companies have also received scrutiny for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".

The incident highlights the ongoing conversation within the marketing and production industries about the balance between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.