A McDonald's Holiday Ad Is Creeping People Out

McDonald's latest holiday ad tried to skewer Christmas stress, but it ended up being pulled after viewers panned it as AI junk. The 45-second spot, produced for McDonald's Netherlands, used artificial intelligence to depict a chaotic "most terrible time of the year," with rapid-fire scenes of falling Christmas trees, burned cookies, and kitchen mishaps, per Quartz. Viewers quickly flagged the easy-to-spot hallmarks of AI video—hyper-quick cuts, science that seems off, and flat human emotions—and focused their ire on both the execution and the message.

One YouTube commenter summarized the general reaction: "Ditch your family and hide in McDonald's because Christmas sucks?" Others labeled it "creepy" and "poorly edited," while an Instagram comment read, "No actors, no camera team ... welcome to the future of filmmaking. And it sucks." McDonald's initially disabled YouTube comments, then removed the video altogether, though versions remain on ad archive sites.

In a statement cited by the BBC, McDonald's Netherlands said the ad was intended to "reflect the stressful moments that can occur during the holidays," but it conceded, "This moment serves as ... important learning as we explore the effective use of AI." Melanie Bridge, CEO of production company the Sweetshop, which made the ad, defended the effort on Instagram, saying it was far from a quick bot job: "Ten people, five weeks, full-time. Blood, sweat, tears, and an honestly ridiculous amount of coaxing to get the models to behave and to honor the creative brief shot by shot."

The agency behind the concept, TBWA\Neboko, said it set out to "challenge the conventions of holiday advertising," starting with a twist on the classic song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," per Quartz. The final product instead joins a growing list of big-brand AI misfires: Coca-Cola was widely mocked just weeks ago for a festive AI spot featuring odd-looking polar bears, sloths, and other woodland creatures frolicking in the snow. Despite such backlash, advertisers are leaning into AI as a cheaper, faster alternative to traditional shoots.