"They Didn't Expect It to Be This Bad"...Criticism Pours In on McDonald's New Model, Controversy in Japan

Japan McDonald's Faces Heavy Criticism for Using AI Model
Netizens Say "Unnatural Appearance Causes Discomfort"

McDonald's Japan faced controversy after using an AI-generated model.

On the 20th, Japanese media outlets including Toyo Keizai reported that netizens have been debating over an advertisement video McDonald's posted on its official social media on the 17th. The ad was created to promote a French fries sale event starting on the 19th. However, awkward details were spotted throughout the video, such as the AI model's fist appearing unusually large and the middle finger excessively bent, causing controversy. Notably, at the end of the ad, the model's hand throwing the fries into the air appeared to have six fingers.

[Image source=Japan McDonald's X (X, formerly Twitter)]

Japanese netizens reacted to the unnatural appearance of the model, saying things like, "While the fact that it’s an AI model might generate buzz, it’s definitely not a good choice," "Regardless of the six fingers, the hand holding the fries itself looks awkward and creates a sense of discomfort," and "Watching the ad didn’t feel good, and it actually made me not want to eat fries."

Despite the strong criticism of this McDonald's ad, it was noted that companies like Itoen, famous for tea, and Sharp, known for electronic dictionaries, have used AI in their advertisements without receiving backlash.

[Image source=Japan McDonald's X (X, formerly Twitter)]

The media pointed out that the reason people do not prefer AI models is because “compared to real-life images, people feel they are ‘unnatural’ and ‘unfamiliar,’ and since they are close to real people, there is also an aspect of disgust.” They added, “Since the McDonald's ad was only distributed on X (formerly Twitter), it seems to be a test to see how AI ads are received. They probably expected some criticism, but likely did not anticipate this level.”

Meanwhile, the use of AI in advertising is becoming increasingly common. This is because it can reduce costs and eliminate the burden advertisers might face if a human model causes problems.