Not lovin’ it: McDonald’s pulls Dutch ‘AI slop’ Christmas ad after backlash
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An artificial intelligence-generated McDonald's advert that took five weeks to make was greeted with scathing criticism.
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- McDonald's Netherlands pulled its AI Christmas advert after online criticism of its depiction of festive stress.
- The advert, showing chaotic Christmas scenes, was intended to highlight the need for respite but backfired.
- Despite criticism, the ad's production company defended AI use, sparking further debate about replacing human roles.
AI generated
THE HAGUE – US burger chain McDonald’s said on Dec 10 that it removed an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated Christmas advert in the Netherlands after it was lambasted online.
The advert, “The most terrible time of the year”, depicts Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a present-laden Dutch cyclist slipping in the snow.
The message: retreat to a McDonald’s restaurant until January and ride out the festive season.
But the generative AI ad sparked a (Mc)flurry of criticism on social media. “This commercial single-handedly ruined my Christmas spirit,” said one user. “Good riddance to AI slop,” posted another.
McDonald’s Netherlands, in a statement, said: “The Christmas commercial was intended to show the stressful moments during the holidays in the Netherlands.
“However, we notice – based on the social comments and international media coverage – that for many guests, this period is ‘the most wonderful time of the year’.”
Ms Melanie Bridge, CEO of The Sweetshop Films which made the ad, defended its use of AI in a post on LinkedIn, saying: “It’s never about replacing craft, it’s about expanding the toolbox. The vision, the taste, the leadership... these will always be human.
“And here’s the part people don’t see: the hours that went into this job far exceeded a traditional shoot. Ten people, five weeks, full-time.”
But this, too, sparked online debate.
Mr Emlyn Davies, from independent production company Bomper Studio, replied to the LinkedIn post: “What about the humans who would have been in it, the actors, the choir?
“Ten people on a project like this is a tiny amount compared with shooting it traditionally (as) live action.” AFP
