McDonald's Netherlands Pulls AI-Created Christmas Ad Following Online Criticism.

The global fast-food chain has pulled a holiday advertisement created with generative AI after encountering considerable criticism on social media.

The short spot was created via AI-generated video and was first released online for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December.

Audience Criticism and Removal

Following its publication, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the film. A number of described it as "creepy" and "jarringly assembled".

"This experience is an key learning as we investigate the effective use of AI," stated a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.

The advert was created for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It depicted various situations that might go awry over the Christmas break, with the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".

A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads

Adverts that feature AI-created content have become a rising phenomenon among large companies, notably for the holiday period.

• Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
• Technical Challenges: As clips produced using current AI video tools are susceptible to distort the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be only six to 10 seconds in length.
• Broader Implications: The ad also sparked fears about job displacement in the creative industry, with some commenters pointing out it could negatively impact opportunities for camera crews.

Response from the Production Company

After the video's removal, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert.

She stated, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then edited afterward "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "The result was a film."

Divisive Audience Sentiment

While the McDonald's commercial was predominantly criticized, the sentiment for some AI-generated campaigns has been varied.

For instance, a recent AI-generated holiday spot from another major brand reportedly received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from viewers.

However, several companies have also faced scrutiny for using the technique in their campaigns. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for ads that some described as "lazy" and "uncanny".

The incident illustrates the continuing discussion within the advertising and production industries about the trade-off between technological innovation and audience reception.