Why McDonald’s AI Christmas Ad Sparked a Backlash?

This holiday season, McDonald's found itself at the centre of a heated online debate—only this time, burgers had nothing to do with it. The brand’s Netherlands division released a fully AI-generated Christmas commercial on December 6, hoping for a playful, tongue-in-cheek take on seasonal chaos. Instead, the 45-second spot was swiftly labelled “AI slop” and quietly removed from YouTube just days later.

The ad, titled “It’s the Most Terrible Time of the Year,” showcased a series of holiday mishaps: slippery sidewalks, exploding gift bags, tangled lights, burnt cookies, and even a small kitchen fire. Though polished, the visuals carried that unmistakable AI uncanny-valley sheen—strange hands, odd expressions, and a certain hollowness that viewers immediately picked up on.

TBWA\NEBOKO produced the campaign in partnership with AI studio The Gardening Club and production company The Sweetshop. 

Sweetshop CEO Melanie Bridge defended the process, explaining that the script was intentionally crafted for AI, not for novelty but for practicality. A live-action shoot would have required a much larger budget. “AI didn’t make this film. We did,” she emphasised, noting that directors shaped the project just as they would any traditional commercial—only the medium changed.

The Gardening Club even released a detailed account of the production, underscoring the sheer human labour involved. Yet despite the effort, the internet wasn’t convinced.

Why the Internet Pushed Back

The backlash wasn’t just about the aesthetics, but a broader cultural tension: AI as a creative tool v/s AI replacing human artistry.

So, when a global brand like McDonald’s proudly centres AI in a major holiday campaign, the reaction is magnified. Audiences aren’t just critiquing the ad—they’re questioning what it represents.

The real question:  Is the audience ready to embrace AI

McDonald’s isn’t alone in adopting AI-assisted production. Coca-Cola recently released its second AI-infused Christmas campaign, signalling that AI is now a mainstream advertising tool.

As AI-generated content becomes more common, brands will have to carefully balance—  innovation with authenticity and creativity with consumer trust.

For now, the McDonald’s holiday experiment serves as a reminder: festive magic is easy to attempt with AI, but much harder to truly capture.