McDonald's Takes Down AI-Created Festive Advertisement After Online Criticism.

McDonald's has pulled a Christmas advert made with Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable online backlash.

The 45-second spot was produced using generative AI clips and was first released on the YouTube channel for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Audience Reaction and Removal

Shortly after its release, audiences online denounced the implementation of AI in the advert. Many labeled it "creepy" and "awkwardly stitched together".

"This incident represents an important learning as we explore the appropriate utilization of Artificial Intelligence," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.

The advert was produced for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that often go badly over the festive season, using the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".

A Growing Trend of AI in Advertising

Campaigns that incorporate AI-created content have emerged as a increasing phenomenon among major companies, especially for the holiday season.

• Another beverage giant has recently launched consecutive AI-created Christmas commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: As segments produced using generative AI are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, most such clips tend to be roughly a few seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also provoked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters noting it could reduce opportunities for production staff.

Response from the Creators

Following the video's removal, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the project.

Bridge claimed, the development took "seven weeks" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then crafted during the edit "just as we would on any traditional production".

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

Divisive Public Reception

While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the response for other AI-generated holiday ads has been more mixed.

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

However, other businesses have likewise received backlash for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some called "lazy" and "uncanny".

The situation underscores the ongoing debate within the marketing and production sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.