The Fast-Food Giant Takes Down AI-Generated Festive Advertisement Following Backlash.

The global fast-food chain has pulled a Christmas advert made using AI following facing widespread public disapproval.

The short ad was created with the help of AI-generated video and was initially uploaded publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.

Audience Criticism and Removal

Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the implementation of AI in the advert. A number of labeled it "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".

"This incident represents an valuable lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from the company.

The advert was created for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the Christmas break, with the theme "the worst time of the year".

A Growing Trend of AI Commercials

Commercials that feature AI tools have become a rising trend among large brands, notably for the Christmas period.

• Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-generated holiday ads.
• Technical Challenges: As videos produced using current AI video tools are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of such clips tend to be only short in length.
• Broader Implications: The video also sparked fears about automation in the advertising sector, with some commenters stating it could reduce work for actors.

Defense from the Production Company

After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.

She stated, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped afterward "in the same way we would on any standard production".

"This was not an AI trick," she said. "The result was a film."

Mixed Audience Sentiment

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

For instance, a recent AI-created Christmas ad from another major brand according to analysis received a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.

However, other businesses have likewise encountered criticism for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that critics called "low-effort" and "uncanny".

The episode highlights the ongoing debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.