*McDonald’s Netherlands has scrapped a holiday commercial after the campaign drew swift backlash from viewers who objected to its fully AI-generated imagery and bleak tone. The 45-second spot debuted on the brand’s YouTube channel on December 6, but was taken down three days later, according to The New York Post.
The ad depicted AI-crafted characters enduring a series of chaotic holiday mishaps. Set to an altered version of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” the commercial used rewritten lyrics that described the holidays as “the most terrible time of the year.” It concluded with a message to “hide out in McDonald’s until January’s here.”
One user on X expressed disapproval, writing, “McDonald’s unveiled what has to be the most god-awful ad I’ve seen this year. Fully AI-generated, that’s one. Looks repulsive, that’s two. More cynical about Christmas than the Grinch, that’s three.” Another viewer remarked, “If they were going for creepy, depressing, deeply unfunny, clumsily shot, poorly edited, and inauthentic — nailed it!”
McDonald’s has released an AI-generated Christmas ad
The studio behind it says they ‘hardly slept’ for several weeks while writing AI prompts and refining the shots — ‘AI didn’t make this film. We did’
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— Culture Crave ? (@CultureCrave) December 8, 2025
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Other commenters criticized both the technology and the message, with remarks such as “Very fitting for a place that sells fake food to make a fake ad.” The onslaught of criticism prompted the company to disable comments on YouTube.
The creative studio behind the commercial, the Gardening Club, defended the effort. The company stated on LinkedIn that the project required “seven intense weeks” of work and that “the man-hours poured into this film were more than a traditional production.”
McDonald’s Netherlands explained to the BBC that the spot was intended to “reflect the stressful moments that can occur during the holidays,” describing the experience as “an important learning” moment in exploring “the effective use of AI.”
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