McDonald's Netherlands Removes AI-Created Holiday Commercial After Backlash.

The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advertisement created using generative AI following encountering widespread online backlash.

The short ad was created with the help of AI video tools and was originally uploaded online for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.

Social Media Reaction and Decision to Pull

Following its publication, viewers on social media lambasted the employment of AI in the advert. Several labeled it "uncanny" and "poorly edited".

"This experience represents an important lesson as we explore the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence," stated a representative from the company.

The advert was developed for McDonald's by Netherlands-based agency TBWA\Neboko and American firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that often go badly over the holidays, with the tagline "the most terrible time of the year".

The Movement of AI-Generated Ads

Campaigns that include AI-created content have emerged as a growing trend among prominent brands, especially for the Christmas campaign season.

• Coca-Cola has similarly released consecutive AI-generated Christmas ads.
• Technical Challenges: Because segments created using generative AI are more likely to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about six to 10 seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked concerns about automation in the creative industry, with some critics pointing out it might negatively impact work for production staff.

Response from the Creators

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

According to her, the development took "seven weeks" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then shaped in post-production "in the same way we would on any high-craft production".

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

Mixed Audience Sentiment

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

For instance, a consecutive AI-generated holiday ad from Coca-Cola according to analysis received a significant "positive sentiment rating" from the public.

However, various brands have likewise encountered backlash for using AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for ads that some called "cheap" and "disturbing".

The episode highlights the evolving debate within the advertising and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.