AI Didn't Spark the McDonald's Ad Backlash. The Perception of Laziness Did

The approach and execution were way off brand

The uproar around McDonald’s AI-generated holiday ad in the Netherlands misses the real point. This wasn’t a failure of artificial intelligence. Rather, it was a failure of brand.

The holidays are stressful—that insight’s a universal starting point for a yuletide commercial. But the execution drifted so far from the brand’s identity that the message never had a chance to land.

McDonald’s is about comfort and familiarity. Wherever you are, you know exactly what you’re going to get. Instead, viewers were served (mostly) unbranded montage of uncomfortable moments with an unconvincing emotional payoff. The world felt uncanny, the tone felt cold and McD’s didn’t make a meaningful appearance until the final beat.

The Golden Arches are shorthand for consistency, warmth and nostalgia—none of which made it into the storytelling. Strip away McDonald’s signature color, tone, rituals and humor (let’s not forget the jingle!), and you’re left with something that simply doesn’t feel like McDonald’s. Layer AI on top of that, and the work reads less like a holiday campaign from a global icon and more like a tech demo.

The problem here is holding the idea and execution apart. Strategy lands a great insight, hands it to a concept team—and somewhere toward the end someone says, “Why not make this with AI?” But this approach overlooks how people actually experience brands—in their final, polished form.

Consumers may not articulate it this way, but execution is where brand trust is built. When the work feels crafted, intentional and true to a brand’s voice, audiences give you permission to take creative swings. But when execution feels lacking in care, rushed or disconnected—especially from a brand as established as McDonald’s—it creates cognitive dissonance.

People sense when corners are cut. AI didn’t spark the backlash—the perception of laziness did.

Audiences felt no connection to the brand with the ad and instead were given something disposable.

So, the backlash wasn’t about moral panic over AI. It was about people feeling underwhelmed by a piece of work that didn’t meet the creative bar McDonald’s has set for decades. In that sense, pulling the spot was the right call. Not because of the controversy, but because the ad simply didn’t meet their own extremely high bar.

If this campaign teaches us anything, it’s that AI can never replicate craft. Creativity still needs a heartbeat.