McDonald's Netherlands Pulls Artificial Intelligence Christmas Ad After Online Criticism.

The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement produced using generative AI following encountering widespread public disapproval.

The short film was created with the help of AI-generated video and was originally released publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's back on 6 December.

Viewer Reaction and Decision to Pull

Following its publication, audiences online denounced the employment of AI in the commercial. Many called it "uncanny" and "jarringly assembled".

"This moment serves as an key lesson as we investigate the proper utilization of generative technology," said a statement from the company.

The advert was developed for the brand by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that can go wrong over the festive season, with the slogan "the most terrible time of the year".

A Growing Trend of AI Commercials

Adverts that feature AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among major brands, notably for the Christmas season.

• Coca-Cola has also released back-to-back AI-created holiday commercials.
• Technical Challenges: As clips made using generative AI are more likely to become unstable the more extended they are, most AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
• Broader Implications: The video also provoked fears about automation in the production sector, with some critics pointing out it could negatively impact work for camera crews.

Response from the Creators

Following the commercial being pulled, a producer's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.

According to her, the production process took "over a month and a half" and involved creating "countless iterations" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".

"This wasn't just an experiment," she commented. "We consider it a film."

Divisive Audience Sentiment

While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for some AI-assisted holiday ads has been varied.

For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.

However, several companies have also encountered scrutiny for employing AI in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that critics described as "cheap" and "uncanny".

The situation underscores the continuing debate within the advertising and creative industries about the balance between new tools and creative integrity.