In a stark lesson on the limits of automation, two of the world’s most recognizable brands have faced intense public criticism for deploying artificial intelligence to craft their holiday advertising, resulting in glitchy visuals and a widespread perception of soulless marketing.
The backlash began with McDonald’s Netherlands, which quietly pulled a 45-second AI-generated holiday advert titled “The Most Terrible Time of the Year” after it was met with fierce online ridicule. The ad, which stitched together AI-generated clips of chaotic festive scenes—including a Santa stuck in traffic and a cyclist skidding through snow—suggested avoiding the season by hiding in a McDonald’s until January.
Viewers on social media did not hold back, with one calling it “the most awful advert of the year,” while others labeled it “anti-Christmas” and “pure slop.” Several accused the brand of trying to “destroy the reason for the season.”
By December 9, the video was deleted. A spokesperson for McDonald’s Netherlands addressed the controversy in a statement, calling the moment “an important learning” in the company’s mission to explore the effective use of AI.
The fast-food giant was not alone in its festive misfire. Beverage titan Coca-Cola, a brand long associated with wholesome holiday classics, is also facing significant backlash for its latest AI-generated Christmas campaign. For 2025, the company released ads featuring overly shiny, animated animals greeting the arrival of its iconic trucks. However, viewers quickly noted jarring inconsistencies, with the trucks subtly changing shape mid-scene, appearing to gain and lose wheels.
The criticism intensified when the company revealed the ads were made with “even fewer people.” One social media user responded, “Flexing that you put even more people out of a job is crazy.” Others mourned the loss of the brand’s classic warmth, with one writing, “I cry and weep for the ‘90s Coca-Cola Christmas adverts.” A third dismissed the campaign as “2025 AI slop.”
This marks the second consecutive year Coca-Cola has faced mockery for AI-generated holiday content, following a similarly panned 2024 campaign.
The simultaneous stumbles by two marketing behemoths underscore a growing consumer pushback against the perceived corner-cutting of AI in creative fields, especially around emotionally charged traditions like the holidays. The message from online communities was clear: while AI may offer efficiency, it has yet to master—or replicate—the nostalgic magic and artistic care that define beloved seasonal advertising.
