McDonald’s Netherlands has pulled an AI-generated Christmas commercial after what was meant to be a playful nod to holiday stress quickly turned into a creative misstep, triggering sharp consumer backlash and reigniting industry debate about how far brands can push AI-led storytelling before audiences push back.
As Ad Age reports, the 45-second spot, created by TBWA\Neboko with production by The Sweetshop, was a fully AI-generated musical number designed to tap into the season’s chaos.
Cats upending Christmas trees, falls on the ice rink, burnt biscuits – all stitched together under a reworked “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” now spun as “It’s the Most Terrible Time of the Year.”
The intention was simple enough: acknowledge the overwhelm consumers feel at this time of year and position McDonald’s as a small sanctuary from the festive frenzy.
But as the ad travelled beyond the Netherlands, viewers were less charmed.
Audience reaction turns cold
Comments arrived fast, and they weren’t wrapped in holiday spirit.
“Indeed, it is the most terrible time, not because of Christmas, though; it’s because of this thing,” one viewer wrote on YouTube.
Another dismissed it outright: “This is diabolical.”
By Tuesday, the fast-food giant had quietly removed the video from YouTube.
The stakes for AI creativity in advertising
The episode lands at a moment when marketers are experimenting heavily with generative AI, yet audiences remain quick to call out work that feels rushed, uncanny or emotionally thin.
In an interview with Mediaweek, Phil McDonald, CEO at BCM, singled out a Christmas AI ad rolled out by Coke as an example of “how not to harness AI to build your brand.”
“There is nothing good about this. The idea that this type of AI can replace heartfelt, well-branded, powerful advertising is as believable as Santa’s elves.”
The tension is growing: AI offers speed, efficiency and endless production permutations, but consumers still expect the polish, warmth and human touch that holiday creative – more than most genres – relies on.