🔗 Share this article McDonald's Removes AI-Created Christmas Ad Following Public Outcry. A AI-created scene from the now-removed McDonald's commercial. McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert created using generative AI following encountering significant online backlash. The short spot was developed using generative AI clips and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December. Viewer Response and Removal Following its publication, audiences online denounced the use of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited". "This moment serves as an valuable lesson as we investigate the appropriate use of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands. The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that might go awry during the Christmas break, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year". A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising Adverts that include AI-created content have become a rising phenomenon among major companies, particularly for the Christmas period. Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials. Technical Challenges: Because clips produced with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length. Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some observers noting it might affect opportunities for camera crews. Response from the Production Company Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert. According to her, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production". "This wasn't an AI gimmick," she said. "The result was a film." Divisive Public Reception While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed. For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from another major brand reportedly achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters. However, several companies have also encountered criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny". The episode underscores the evolving debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.
A AI-created scene from the now-removed McDonald's commercial. McDonald's has taken down a Christmas advert created using generative AI following encountering significant online backlash. The short spot was developed using generative AI clips and was first released publicly for McDonald's Netherlands on 6 December. Viewer Response and Removal Following its publication, audiences online denounced the use of AI in the commercial. A number of described it as "creepy" and "poorly edited". "This moment serves as an valuable lesson as we investigate the appropriate use of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands. The advert was produced for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop. It showed a series of things that might go awry during the Christmas break, using the tagline "the most terrible time of the year". A Growing Phenomenon of AI in Advertising Adverts that include AI-created content have become a rising phenomenon among major companies, particularly for the Christmas period. Coca-Cola has recently launched back-to-back AI-generated Christmas commercials. Technical Challenges: Because clips produced with generative AI are more likely to become unstable the longer they run, the majority of AI video outputs tend to be about short in length. Broader Implications: The ad also provoked concerns about the replacement of human roles in the production sector, with some observers noting it might affect opportunities for camera crews. Response from the Production Company Following the ad being taken down, a producer's CEO, Melanie Bridge, stood by the advert. According to her, the creation required "over a month and a half" and involved generating "countless iterations" which were then edited in post-production "just as we would on any traditional production". "This wasn't an AI gimmick," she said. "The result was a film." Divisive Public Reception While the Dutch McDonald's commercial was largely panned, the response for other AI-assisted holiday ads has been more mixed. For instance, a recent AI-created holiday ad from another major brand reportedly achieved a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from online commenters. However, several companies have also encountered criticism for using AI in their campaigns. Luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "uncanny". The episode underscores the evolving debate within the marketing and creative sectors about the trade-off between AI efficiency and human craftsmanship.