McDonald's Netherlands Pulls AI-Created Festive Advertisement In the Wake of Online Criticism.

McDonald's has removed a holiday advert made via AI after facing significant criticism on social media.

The short film was produced with the help of AI video tools and was first published online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Audience Reaction and Decision to Pull

Soon after it aired, commenters lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. Many called it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".

"This incident represents an key learning as we examine the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence," said a spokesperson from the company.

The advert was created for McDonald's by Netherlands-based company TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It portrayed a series of scenarios that often go badly over the holidays, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".

A Growing Trend of AI-Generated Ads

Adverts that incorporate AI tools have become a growing trend among major brands, especially for the holiday season.

• Coca-Cola has similarly launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials.
• Inherent Limitations: Because videos made using current AI video tools are susceptible to become unstable the more extended they are, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked worries about the replacement of human roles in the production industry, with some critics noting it might affect work for production staff.

Defense from the Creators

Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the project.

Bridge claimed, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "thousands of takes" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any standard production".

"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "The result was a finished piece."

Mixed Audience Sentiment

While the Dutch McDonald's ad was mostly panned, the reception for other AI-assisted campaigns has been more mixed.

For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters.

However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "lazy" and "disturbing".

The incident illustrates the evolving debate within the marketing and production industries about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.