McDonald’s Netherlands Pulls AI-generated Christmas Ad Amid Backlash
McDonald’s Netherlands removed an AI-generated Christmas advertisement titled 'the most terrible time of the year' following widespread online backlash. The ad portrayed chaotic holiday scenes, including Santa stuck in a traffic jam and a gift-laden Dutch cyclist slipping, and suggested viewers seek refuge at McDonald’s until January. Produced by Sweetshop Films, the campaign involved substantial human input, with CEO Melanie Bridge stating that ten people worked on it for five weeks, emphasizing that AI use is an extension of creative tools rather than a replacement. However, Emlyn Davies of Bomper Studio pointed out that a team of ten is small relative to traditional live-action shoots, sparking debate about the evolving human role in AI-driven advertisements. McDonald’s Netherlands explained the spot was intended to depict holiday stress, but social media and international media coverage framed it as spoiling the Christmas spirit, leading to its withdrawal. In a wider industry context, Coca-Cola also released an AI-generated holiday ad that avoids close-ups of humans and features AI-created animals in a winter setting, indicating broader experimentation with AI in festive advertising.
