The Fast-Food Giant Removes Artificial Intelligence Festive Advertisement Following Backlash.

The global fast-food chain has removed a holiday commercial produced using Artificial Intelligence after receiving considerable criticism on social media.

The brief film was developed with the help of AI-generated video and was initially released online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Viewer Response and Removal

Soon after it aired, audiences online lambasted the employment of AI in the film. A number of called it "uncanny" and "awkwardly stitched together".

"This incident is an valuable learning as we investigate the proper application of Artificial Intelligence," commented a representative from the company.

The advert was developed for McDonald's by Dutch company TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed various scenarios that can go wrong during the holidays, under the theme "not the most wonderful time of the year".

A Growing Movement of AI-Generated Ads

Campaigns that feature AI-created content have become a rising phenomenon among major companies, notably for the holiday campaign season.

• Another beverage giant has similarly launched consecutive AI-generated holiday ads.
• Technical Challenges: As segments produced with current AI video tools are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of such clips tend to be about a few seconds in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the creative sector, with some critics noting it might reduce work for camera crews.

Response from the Creators

Following the video's removal, The Sweetshop's head, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.

According to her, the creation required "seven weeks" and involved generating "thousands of takes" which were then edited during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "We consider it a finished piece."

Divisive Public Reception

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

For instance, a consecutive AI-created holiday ad from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "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 criticized for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".

The episode underscores the ongoing conversation within the marketing and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and human craftsmanship.