UPDATE: McDonald’s has just pulled its AI-generated Christmas advertisement from YouTube following a massive backlash from viewers. The decision comes just three days after the ad was uploaded on December 6, 2023, and has ignited a firestorm of criticism across social media.
The controversial video, which features a choir singing holiday carols outside a McDonald’s, portrays a bleak view of Christmas, highlighting “bad weather,” “awful traffic,” and “terrible cooking.” Critics quickly labeled the ad as “creepy” and “soulless,” with one user, Theodore McKenzie, calling it “the most god-awful ad I’ve seen this year,” surpassing even Coca-Cola’s past attempts at AI-generated holiday commercials.
The backlash was swift and fierce, with viewers taking to platforms like Twitter to express their disdain for the commercial’s use of generative AI, which they argued resulted in bizarre animations and a disconcerting aesthetic. The ad’s message—that Christmas is miserable unless spent at McDonald’s—only fueled the outrage.
In response to the criticism, The Sweetshop, the production company behind the ad, defended their work in a now-deleted statement. CEO Melanie Bridge claimed that their team of “in-house AI and post specialists” spent seven weeks tirelessly crafting the ad, generating “thousands of takes” to achieve what they described as a “high-craft production.” Bridge insisted that the ad represented a significant intersection of technology and creativity rather than a mere gimmick.
However, this defense did little to quell the outrage, as many social media users continued to share and criticize the ad. Reuploads of the controversial video have surfaced, with users demanding accountability from The Sweetshop for what many are calling an embarrassing misstep in advertising.
This incident raises critical questions about the future of AI in marketing, as McDonald’s joins a growing list of major brands experimenting with artificial intelligence. This year alone, Coca-Cola and Disney have faced similar scrutiny for their AI-generated content.
As the story develops, consumers and industry experts alike will be watching closely to see how McDonald’s responds to the fallout and whether they will shift their advertising strategies in light of this backlash.
Stay tuned for updates on this evolving situation.