December 10, 2025
Season’s eatings, not uncanny beings
McDonald's pulls AI Christmas ad after backlash
Internet dubs it ‘McSlop’ as creepy AI faces spark holiday outrage
TLDR: McDonald’s Netherlands pulled its AI Christmas ad after viewers mocked its creepy vibe and nicknamed it “McSlop.” Comments mixed jokes with worries about creative jobs, while the agency defended the process—showing how risky AI ads can be when online sentiment flips fast.
McDonald’s Netherlands dropped a 45‑second AI‑made Christmas ad on 6 December—then yanked it three days later after the internet roasted it like a burnt turkey. Viewers slammed the uncanny, stitched‑together clips and “creepy” characters, christening the spot “McSlop.” One commenter even shared “the slop BBC failed to show you” with a YouTube link, while others summed up the vibe as pure “Executive dysfunction.”
The ad—meant to show holiday mishaps with the slogan “the most terrible time of the year”—instead sparked worries that brands are replacing humans with robots. The industry angst was loud: job displacement, soulless storytelling, and “who asked for this?” Meanwhile, the production company defended its work. The Sweetshop’s CEO insisted it wasn’t a cheap trick, claiming seven weeks of grind and “thousands of takes,” and calling it a film—only for commenters like macintux to point out the agency’s “incredibly defensive statement” linked in Futurism seemingly got pulled too. Popcorn, meet PR scramble.
Others shrugged that this is just where ads are headed, with brands chasing speed and budget using generative AI. Coca‑Cola’s AI Christmas ad reportedly earned a 61% positive sentiment, showing the public is split. McDonald’s says this was “an important learning” as it tests AI’s limits—but online, the verdict was already served with fries.
Key Points
- •McDonald’s Netherlands released a 45-second AI-generated Christmas advert on 6 December and removed it on 9 December after online backlash.
- •The advert was produced by TBWA\Neboko and US production company The Sweetshop using generative AI clips.
- •Viewers criticized the ad’s uncanny visuals and stitched-together editing, with concerns also raised about job displacement.
- •The Sweetshop CEO Melanie Bridge defended the production, saying it took seven weeks and involved thousands of takes, edited like a high-craft film.
- •AI-generated advertising is a growing trend; Coca-Cola’s AI Christmas ad had 61% positive sentiment per Social Sprout, while brands like Valentino faced criticism.