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McDonald's has removed a Christmas ad created by artificial intelligence after viewers found it “creepy”.
The 45-second ad, which premiered on Saturday on the company's Dutch YouTube channel, was set to the Christmas song “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” with altered lyrics to describe it as “the scariest time of the year.” The ad also featured absurd holiday situations, such as a Christmas tree exploding in the living room and Santa Claus causing a traffic jam.
McDonald's initially deleted comments on the video, but eventually made it private a few days later.
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McDonald's acknowledged the AI-generated ads in a statement Wednesday. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The fast food chain confirmed the commercial and its swift removal to Fox News Digital in a statement Wednesday.
A spokesperson said: “This commercial was created for McDonald's in the Netherlands, but we have decided to remove the AI-generated Christmas ad.” “Although this was intended to reflect the stressful moments that can occur during a Dutch holiday, we recognize that for many of our guests this season is 'the most wonderful time of the year.' We respect that and remain committed to creating experiences that provide everyone with a good time and delicious food. This moment is an important learning curve as we explore the effective use of AI. ”
The video was removed from McDonald's YouTube channel, but clips of the ad were widely circulated on social media, garnering mostly negative feedback.
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“If it was aiming to be creepy, depressing, completely unfunny, clumsily shot, poorly edited, and inauthentic, it succeeded!” wrote film critic Richard Roper.
McDonald's and Coca-Cola have begun experimenting with AI-generated ads. (Jaap Arrians/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Blaze contributor Daniel Horowitz commented, “AI's deterioration is worse than the Black Death…a digital plague. At least the bubonic plague wasn't supported by my tax dollars or by taking someone else's job.”
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh wrote: “It's disgusting. It's awful. There's no artistry. There's no wit. There's no charm. There's no warmth. There's no humanity. You can tell it's AI from a million miles away. I hate it. You should hate it, too. We should relentlessly mock, ridicule, and bully the people and companies that use AI in this way.”
Actor John Cartwright commented: “This ad is so cynical and unfunny, even ignoring all the issues.”
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Advertising agency TBWA and production company The Sweet Shop, which created the ad, reportedly defended it in their first statements after its release.
McDonald's AI-generated Christmas ad has sparked a backlash online. (Screenshot/McDonald's Netherlands)
According to the New York Post, The Sweet Shop CEO Melanie Bridge said in a since-deleted comment: “The amount of time spent on this job far exceeded that of a traditional shoot: 10 people, five weeks full-time. Blood, sweat, tears, and a frankly ridiculous amount of persuasion to get the models to take action and respect the creative brief for each shot.”
Fox News Digital reached out to TBWA and The Sweetshop.
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Coca-Cola faced a similar backlash after releasing an AI-generated ad for Christmas in 2024. The company created new AI-generated ads in November as part of its “Holidays are Coming” campaign.
