McDonald’s has pulled a new AI-generated Christmas advert from its Netherlands YouTube channel after widespread criticism over the commercial’s unsettling visuals and heavy reliance on artificial intelligence. The 45-second ad, released on 6 December, used fully AI-created clips to depict the frustrations of the holiday season under the slogan “the most terrible time of the year,” prompting swift backlash across social platforms.
Viewers denounced the ad’s distorted characters and stitched-together scenes, with some calling it “creepy,” “poorly edited,” and one of the worst ads of the year. The criticism intensified as concerns about AI replacing human workers surfaced, with commenters noting the absence of actors, camera crews and traditional production teams. McDonald’s Netherlands removed the ad on 9 December and told BBC News the experience served as “an important learning” as the company assesses how AI should be used in future campaigns.
The spot was created by Dutch agency TBWANeboko and U.S.-based production company The Sweetshop. Responding to the backlash, Sweetshop CEO Melanie Bridge defended the effort, saying the project required seven weeks of work, thousands of AI-generated takes and long hours from the production team. She emphasized that the final result was crafted with the same care as any high-end commercial, stating it “wasn’t an AI trick” but a film shaped through traditional editing.
AI-generated advertising has become increasingly common among major brands, especially during the holiday season. Coca-Cola, for example, earned relatively positive online response to its second AI-created Christmas ad, with analytics firm Social Sprout reporting a 61 percent positive sentiment rating. Still, other companies including Italian fashion brand Valentino have faced harsh criticism for what some consumers call “cheap” or “lazy” AI-driven campaigns.
McDonald’s Netherlands said the intent behind its AI ad was to highlight familiar holiday stress, but acknowledged the execution fell short of audience expectations. The company now says the experience will guide how it approaches AI-assisted production going forward.
