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McDonald's withdraws controversial AI Christmas advert
McDonald's Netherlands removed a 45-second holiday commercial created using generative artificial intelligence on Monday, three days after its release sparked widespread backlash on social media.
Advert details and public reaction
The advertisement, produced by Dutch agency TBWA\Neboko and US-based The Sweetshop, depicted chaotic holiday scenarios under the tagline "the most terrible time of the year," suggesting fast food as a remedy. Viewers quickly criticized the video for its unsettling visuals, describing the AI-generated characters as "creepy" and the editing as disjointed.
One Instagram user commented, "No actors, no camera team... welcome to the future of filmmaking. And it sucks," highlighting concerns over job displacement in the creative industry.
Technical challenges and industry trends
Generative AI video clips typically last between six and ten seconds before distortion becomes noticeable. The McDonald's advert, however, ran for 45 seconds, requiring numerous short clips to be stitched together-likely contributing to the uncanny visual effect.
Despite the controversy, AI-generated ads have gained traction among major brands, particularly during the holiday season. Coca-Cola, for instance, released its second consecutive AI-created Christmas campaign this year, achieving a 61% "positive sentiment rating" in online comments, according to analytics firm Social Sprout.
Defense and apology
Melanie Bridge, CEO of The Sweetshop, defended the production process in remarks to Futurism, stating the team spent "seven weeks" working "hardly slept" to produce "thousands of takes," treating it as a high-craft film rather than an AI shortcut.
"This wasn't an AI trick. It was a film."
Melanie Bridge, CEO of The Sweetshop
In a statement to BBC News, McDonald's Netherlands acknowledged the advert was intended to reflect "the stressful moments that can occur during the holidays" but chose to remove it following the backlash.
"This moment serves as an important learning as we explore the effective use of AI."
McDonald's Netherlands
Broader industry response
While some brands have successfully integrated AI into their campaigns, others have faced similar criticism. Italian luxury fashion house Valentino, for example, was accused of producing a "cheap" and "lazy" advert using the same technology.
BBC News has reached out to TBWA\Neboko and The Sweetshop for further comment but has not yet received a response.
