McDonald's Netherlands Removes AI-Created Christmas Ad After Public Outcry.

The global fast-food chain has taken down a holiday advert produced via Artificial Intelligence following facing considerable online backlash.

The 45-second spot was created using generative AI clips and was initially published publicly for the Dutch branch of McDonald's on 6 December.

Viewer Reaction and Removal

Shortly after its release, commenters criticized the employment of AI in the advert. Several described it as "disturbing" and "awkwardly stitched together".

"This incident is an valuable learning as we investigate the effective use of Artificial Intelligence," commented a spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands.

The commercial was created for the brand by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and American production company The Sweetshop. It depicted various scenarios that might go awry during the Christmas break, using the theme "the most terrible time of the year".

The Movement of AI-Generated Ads

Campaigns that incorporate generative AI have become a growing phenomenon among prominent companies, particularly for the Christmas season.

• Another beverage giant has also released back-to-back AI-created Christmas ads.
• Technical Challenges: Because videos produced with generative AI are prone to degrade the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also raised concerns about job displacement in the creative sector, with some observers pointing out it could affect opportunities for camera crews.

Response from the Production Company

After the ad being taken down, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the project.

She stated, the development required "over a month and a half" and involved creating "numerous versions" which were then crafted in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't just an AI gimmick," she commented. "We consider it a proper commercial."

Divisive Public Reception

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

For instance, a consecutive AI-generated Christmas ad from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from the public.

However, various brands have also received backlash for employing the technique in marketing. Luxury brand Valentino, for example, was criticized for advertisements that some called "low-effort" and "disturbing".

The episode underscores the continuing discussion within the advertising and production sectors about the balance between technological innovation and audience reception.