Overview
- The 45‑second spot, posted to McDonald’s Netherlands’ YouTube channel, reworked the lyric to “the most terrible time of the year” and depicted chaotic holiday mishaps.
- YouTube comments were closed shortly after upload and the video was then set to private as negative reactions spread across social platforms.
- Viewers cited unsettling AI artifacts, jarring tone, and scenes of people getting hurt as reasons the piece felt off for a Christmas campaign.
- McDonald’s told BBC News it removed the clip and called the episode a key learning, saying the intent was to reflect holiday stress rather than mock it.
- Production partners TBWA\Neboko and The Sweetshop defended the process, saying it took seven weeks and thousands of takes, as debate over AI’s impact on creative jobs and its growing use in marketing continued.