McDonald's Takes Down AI-Created Christmas Ad In the Wake of Public Outcry.

McDonald's has taken down a holiday commercial created with Artificial Intelligence following facing significant criticism on social media.

The brief ad was developed using generative AI clips and was initially published online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Social Media Response and Removal

Following its publication, audiences online criticized the employment of AI in the advert. Many described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".

"This experience is an valuable learning as we explore the effective utilization of generative technology," said a representative from McDonald's Netherlands.

The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed various situations that often go badly over the holidays, under the theme "the most terrible time of the year".

The Movement of AI in Advertising

Commercials that include generative AI have become a growing trend among large companies, especially for the holiday period.

• Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-created holiday ads.
• Inherent Limitations: Because clips created with current AI video tools are susceptible to degrade the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
• Broader Implications: The video also provoked fears about job displacement in the creative sector, with some commenters stating it could negatively impact opportunities for production staff.

Defense from the Production Company

After the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, spoke in support of the advert.

She stated, the production process took "seven weeks" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then crafted during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".

"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "We consider it a finished piece."

Mixed Public Reception

While the Dutch McDonald's ad was predominantly panned, the reception for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.

For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly garnered a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.

However, several companies have also encountered backlash for using the technique in advertising. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "uncanny".

The episode highlights the continuing discussion within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between new tools and human craftsmanship.