McDonald's Pulls Unsettling Christmas Commercial After it Sparks Massive Backlash
This goes without saying, but there are obviously lots of fans of artificial intelligence.
Whether it’s used to write a term paper, automate mundane tasks, or function as a glorified Photoshop, the technology clearly has some uses, and some people are fine with it.
But there are also some die-hard detractors of artificial intelligence, who simply refuse to engage in “AI slop.”
Just ask McDonald’s.
The ubiquitous fast food chain came under a torrent of criticism when it released a Christmas ad that was made solely with AI.
(And if you had any doubt about the derision, McDonald’s turned off comments to the YouTube video.)
You can watch it for yourself below:
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’
Comments have been turned off on YouTube pic.twitter.com/Es5ROvI7n2
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) December 8, 2025
The backlash to the ad was swift and unrestrained.
Here’s Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh’s take on the ad: “It sucks. It’s awful. There’s no artistry. No wit. No charm. No warmth. No humanity. You can tell it’s AI from a million miles away. I hate it. You should hate it.”
New York Times best-selling author Raymond Arroyo said, “This is ‘The Most Terrible AD of the Year.’ It’s cold as ice, lifeless, and the lyrics are strained. Why does Mc Donald’s think trashing the most beloved- and sacred- season of the year is a winning sales strategy? This AI nightmare feels like a Mayhem insurance ad. Stick to Grimmace and the Clown- you’ll sell more fries that way.”
And to be clear, they’re both right (though Jaguar may provide some competition in “The Most Terrible Ad of the Year” category). This is awful. It’s very clearly made by AI; the hackneyed production values, the odd way that AI can’t seem to grasp real physics, and the horrible coloration of it all are telltale signs of AI slop.
Oh, and Walsh added: “We should relentlessly mock and deride and bully anyone or any company that uses AI like this.”
Well, update: The bullying worked!
According to Futurism, McDonald’s delisted the video after the torrent of backlash it received.
There are two more things worth pointing out about this ill-fated ad.
First, this video was never meant for American eyes, as it’s a McDonald’s Netherlands ad.
That being said, you’d have to be pretty dense to think something like this won’t break containment in the age of widespread internet and social media.
Second, and much more importantly, even if this ad were crafted by humans, it’s still a pretty abysmal ad.
The ad basically dumps all over Christmas — a rather sacred day — and tries to convince viewers that instead of partaking in the potential ups-and-downs of Christmas merriment, that they should go clog their arteries at McDonald’s.
It’s… an unusual angle to take, to say the least.
A Christmas ad that basically says, “Doesn’t Christmas suck? Wouldn’t you rather be at McDonald’s?” might appeal to like 2 percent of the global population — if that. For the rest of the world, it’s going to be a major turnoff.
McDonald’s appears to have realized that fact, hence the pulling of the video.
But that probably won’t stop the merciless mocking and derision. Oh, well.
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