McDonald's Netherlands Pulls AI-Created Holiday Commercial Following Public Outcry.

The global fast-food chain has taken down a Christmas advertisement created with Artificial Intelligence after encountering considerable online backlash.

The 45-second ad was created using AI-generated video and was originally uploaded online for McDonald's Netherlands back on 6 December.

Viewer Response and Removal

Shortly after its release, viewers on social media criticized the employment of AI in the commercial. Many called it "disturbing" and "poorly edited".

"This moment serves as an key lesson as we examine the proper utilization of AI," commented a statement from McDonald's Netherlands.

The commercial was developed for McDonald's by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US firm The Sweetshop. It showed a series of scenarios that can go wrong over the Christmas break, under the slogan "not the most wonderful time of the year".

The Trend of AI in Advertising

Campaigns that include AI-created content have become a growing trend among major companies, particularly for the Christmas season.

• Coca-Cola has recently released consecutive AI-created holiday ads.
• Technical Challenges: As segments produced using generative AI are more likely to distort the longer they run, most such clips tend to be only short in length.
• Industry Concerns: The ad also sparked fears about automation in the creative sector, with some commenters stating it might reduce opportunities for production staff.

Response from the Creators

Following the commercial being pulled, The Sweetshop's chief executive, Melanie Bridge, defended the advert.

Bridge claimed, the creation took "over a month and a half" and involved producing "thousands of takes" which were then shaped during the edit "in the same way we would on any traditional production".

"This wasn't an AI gimmick," Bridge asserted. "It was a proper commercial."

Mixed Audience Sentiment

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

For instance, a recent AI-created holiday spot from Coca-Cola reportedly achieved a 61% "positive feedback" from online commenters.

However, other businesses have likewise faced backlash for employing AI in advertising. Italian brand Valentino, for example, was lambasted for advertisements that some described as "low-effort" and "disturbing".

The incident illustrates the evolving conversation within the advertising and creative sectors about the balance between new tools and audience reception.