McDonald’s Netherlands pulled its AI-made holiday ad after viewers blasted the spot’s unsettling visuals.
WASHINGTON — McDonald’s Netherlands has pulled a Christmas commercial made with artificial intelligence after the ad sparked intense backlash online.
The 45-second spot, created entirely with generative AI, debuted Dec. 6 on McDonald’s Netherlands’ YouTube channel. Within days, viewers criticized the ad’s unsettling visuals and editing.
McDonald’s Netherlands removed the video on Dec. 9. In a statement to BBC News, the company said the ad intended to “reflect the stressful moments that can occur during the holidays” but acknowledged the response.
“This moment serves as an important learning as we explore the effective use of AI,” McDonald’s Netherlands said.
The commercial, produced by Dutch ad agency TBWA\Neboko and U.S.-based production company The Sweetshop, portrayed holiday mishaps under the tagline “the most terrible time of the year,” ultimately suggesting Christmas might be better spent at McDonald’s.
Critics described the AI-generated characters as “creepy” and raised concerns about job displacement in the film and advertising industries due to the use of AI.
Following the backlash, The Sweetshop defended the project in a statement that has since been taken down. According to Futurism, CEO Melanie Bridge said the team of 10 spent seven weeks on production, creating “thousands of takes” before shaping the final edit.
“This wasn’t an AI trick. It was a film,” Bridge said. “To me, it’s evidence of something much bigger: that when craft and technology meet with intention, they can create work that feels genuinely cinematic. So no – AI didn’t make this film. We did.”
The now-removed ad comes as brands increasingly experiment with generative AI, especially during the holiday season. Last month, Coca-Cola launched its 2025 holiday campaign, featuring two AI-driven reimaginations of the classic 1995 Coca‑Cola spot, “The Holidays are Coming.”
The company noted that while it used AI tools for the new spots, the music used in the films was performed and sung by real artists.
