Why McDonald's removed its AI commercial and what was wrong with it?

The internet has been in a state of frenzy after McDonald’s Netherlands posted an AI-generated commercial dedicated to Christmas, leading the giant fast food chain to pull it.

McDonald’s AI-generated Christmas ad drew widespread ire for depicting “the most terrible time of the year.”

What was wrong with McDonald’s AI-generated Christmas commercial?

The most troublesome part of McDonald’s AI-generated Christmas ad was its unsettling visuals and a surprisingly violent tone, which appear to have led to its removal just three weeks after its debut.

Who created McDonald’s AI-generated commercial?

McDonald’s AI-generated commercial was produced by The Sweetshop using their proprietary AI engine, The Gardening Club. It featured bizarre and chaotic holiday scenes, including balloon hands and fireball cookies.

While many claim that it was intended to convey the stress of the season and the relief McDonald's offers, the ad instead met with backlash.

Responding to the public ire, The Sweetshop defended the ad, asserting that it was a meticulously crafted film rather than a mere AI stunt.

The Sweetshop CEO Melanie Bridge emphasised the extensive effort behind McDonald's controversial advert, claiming it took seven weeks and a team of specialists to create.

She went on to remark that the project represented a genuine artistic endeavour rather than a simple AI trick.

Despite the company underlining the overwhelming workload and expertise needed for the ad, the backlash outlines that while generative AI tools are becoming more accessible and cost-effective for marketing, they can bring disjointed and unappealing results.

The McDonald's AI incident shows a trend where brands are unintentionally alienating audiences by treating AI as a gimmick rather than a legitimate creative tool.