After the backlash that followed Coca-Cola’s AI-generated Christmas ad last month, one would expect other corporate giants to be more cautious about releasing their own AI-powered efforts.
But no.
McDonald’s Netherlands decided that it would be a really good idea to use generative AI tools to create their own festive commercial. But people didn’t react well after its release on December 6th.
In fact, the criticism was so severe that the company withdrew the commercial.
The 45-second ad, which conveys the idea that Christmas is “the most terrifying time of the year,” details various mishaps that occur during the festive season, from lights being thrown out during the holiday season to Santa getting stuck in traffic. The solution, the ad says, is to seek refuge at McDonald’s.
If you’re curious, you can check it out here.
But as AI-generated videos continue to improve, the strange color grading, not-quite-right body movements, and short clips made the McDonald’s ad uncomfortable to watch for many, along with the fact that these cost-cutting productions gobble up the work of skilled production teams.
“Please bring back people doing things again,” one commenter wrote on Instagram, while another said, “A $200 billion company that doesn’t even sell real food can’t make a real commercial.” One commenter on Reddit was a little more blunt, simply saying, “It sucks.”
The idea for the ad came from creative agency TBWANeboko, which commissioned a production company called The Sweetshop to create it using AI tools.
Following the backlash, The Sweetshop released a somewhat bizarre statement, shared by Futurism, that seemed aimed at understanding.
“For seven weeks we barely slept as up to ten of our internal AI and post specialists at The Gardening Club (our internal AI engine) worked in lockstep with the directors,” said The Sweetshop CEO.
“We created what seemed like daily footage – thousands of takes – and then edited it the way we would on any demanding production. This wasn’t an AI trick. It was a film.”
The statement continued: “I don’t see this spot as a novelty or a cute seasonal experiment. To me, it’s evidence of something much bigger: when craft and technology come together with intention, they can create works that feel truly cinematic. So no – AI didn’t make this movie. We did.”
With both Coca-Cola and McDonald’s now feeling the pressure on their respective AI ads, it will be interesting to see whether other major companies use the technology for their own TV commercials – or stay away from it.
