McDonald's AI Ad Character Repurposed for Burger King After Catastrophic Campaign Pulled

Character From the Catastrophic McDonald's AI Ad Come Back to Haunt Fast Food Chain

A follow-up to the infamous AI-generated McDonald's Christmas ad poignantly shows how corporations have no control over their creation when using the technology. The original AI ad for McDonald's Netherlands was pulled after widespread backlash and mockery when the filmmakers behind it insisted they "hardly slept" when making the ad. "McDonald's Netherlands has decided to remove our AI-generated Christmas advert," the company said in a statement. "It was intended to reflect the stressful moments that can occur during the holidays in the Netherlands, but we recognize that for many of our guests, the season is 'the most wonderful time of the year.' We respect that and remain committed to creating experiences that offer Good Times and Good Food for everyone." Luckily, some people had the foresight to keep a copy of McDonald's AI ad, see below, but worse still for the fast food chain, people have started iterating on it by borrowing some of the characters from the ad. Inc. reports that creative agency All Trades Co. featured one of the 'actors' that appeared in the McDonald's ad in a video that highlights the pitfalls of using AI. "Commercials used to use real actors," the AI woman says. "And those real actors used to be under contract buyouts. That meant they couldn't turn around and support a competitor," she says while dipping her hand into a Burger King bag. The video makes a sharp point: when a corporation uses AI to create an advertisement, it effectively relinquishes control over how those characters may appear in future media, largely because such works are difficult to register with copyright authorities. While it is not impossible, the U.S. Copyright Office has taken a dim view of works that are entirely AI-generated. It is not like Ronald McDonald, which is heavily protected. "It almost seems like we should value human labor, craft, and creativity," the character says. "But what do I know? I'm just AI. I'll say and do anything." At the end of the video, a message from All Trades appears: "We work with humans. Unless we're making a video about how AI videos are bad."

Why McDonald's AI Christmas ad backfired so badly

It hasn't been a good year for AI-generated Christmas campaigns. First we saw Coca-Cola release a slop fest of an ad, then McDonald's came along with 'It's the most terrible time of the year', a supposedly humorous ad featuring various festive mishaps. But the biggest mishap of all was the brazen use of AI, which led to a backlash so fierce the ad was pulled. Following the backlash over its unsettling visuals and confusing message, the McDonald's Netherlands ad was swiftly deleted from YouTube. But why did it provoke such a heated response in the first place. "AI can be an invaluable tool for creativity and innovation, but this incident demonstrates what happens when it operates without sufficient human oversight or an understanding of the human condition," Andrew Witts, Digital Marketing Strategist at Studio 36 Digital, told Creative Bloq. "Beyond the uncanny valley effect, the AI-generated ad simply missed the emotional mark. During a season when people seek joy, comfort, and connection, marketers aim to build a sense of warmth and resonance with their audience. This advert achieved the opposite, projecting a tone that felt bleak rather than festive." "Of course, bad publicity is still publicity, and the backlash may well increase McDonald's visibility as people search for the video, share reactions, and engage with the story. However, visibility without positive sentiment is a double-edged sword. Brands should treat this as a reminder that while generative AI has a legitimate place in creative workflows, it must be guided by cultural awareness, strategic thinking, and human judgment if it is to strengthen, rather than damage, brand perception." So how can brands reduce the risk of an AI backlash? Witts proposes five ideas: "When AI-generated work fails," Witts adds, "it's usually because it loses touch with what audiences actually feel and value."