5 AI advertising controversies that turned heads this year, from Meta's AI granny to Coca-Cola's shape-shifting trucks

Marketers embraced AI in 2025. There were also some high-profile AI hiccups in advertising. From McDonald's to Meta, here's a look at major brands that had AI ad controversies this year. Chief marketing officers at many of the world's biggest brands made artificial intelligence a centerpiece of their strategies this year. For some brands, the enthusiasm ran into risky territory. From AI-generated ads that veered into the " uncanny valley " to backlash over replacing human models and advertising creatives , AI's growing role in advertising fueled a string of controversial marketing moments. The AI backlash even led to its own marketing trend: brands hating on AI . A survey of more than 6,000 US consumers conducted by the brand-tracking platform Tracksuit in November found that overall sentiment toward AI-generated advertising skewed negative (39%). Neutrality was also strong among respondents, at 36%, while only 18% felt positive about brands using AI-generated content in their ads. Matt Barash, chief commercial officer of the adtech platform Nova, said that while AI can be a useful tool for buying and placing ads, brands should be cautious when attempting to automate the creative process. "When brands ask AI to invent stories from scratch, they don't get innovation - they get an approximation of human emotion, and the result can make headlines for all of the wrong reasons," Barash said. Indeed, several major marketers did make the news for their AI-related mishaps this year. Take a look at some of the most notable AI advertising controversies of the year, below. McDonald's 'most terrible' AI holiday ad McDonald's Netherlands cooked up an AI-generated holiday ad this month - and quickly sent it back to the kitchen when it became clear that viewers weren't lovin' it. The "most terrible time of the year" ad was intended to be a satirical take on Christmas calamities that could occur over the festive period. The 45-second spot featured a quickfire montage of cooking mishaps, broken bones at the ice rink, and Santa's sleigh getting stuck in a traffic jam. The brand suggested its restaurants could act as a shelter from the chaos. "Hide out in McDonald's 'til January's here," the ad's narrator said. Some social media commentators denounced the fast-food chain as a McGrinch, complaining the ad had a cynical sentiment and "creepy" characters. After initially turning off the comments on the ad's YouTube video, McDonald's later removed the ad from the site altogether. In a statement, McDonald's Netherlands said that while the ad was intended to reflect some of the stressful moments that the holidays can bring, it recognized that many of its customers feel 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," the statement said. Coca-Cola's metamorphosing holiday trucks Coca-Cola already had one AI-generated holiday ad misfire under its belt, after last year's "Holidays are Coming" rendition was criticized as "dystopian" and "soulless." Despite that, this year it...

Preview: ~500 words