this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2025
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[–] falseWhite@lemmy.world 129 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (7 children)

All according to the plan.

Release an AI ad, knowing full well it will cause a lot of headlines and people talking/hating it, based on what happened with the coke ad.

Then remove the ad due to "backlash" and say something like "We listened to you, our dear customers, so sowwy for the AI slop, we the good guys"

BAM! Now you have half the world talking about the ad and making everyone think about McDonald's.

I personally would have probably never even seen that ad if not for all the headlines and posts.

[–] Flaqueman@sh.itjust.works 32 points 1 day ago

Sadly you're right. Bad publicity is still publicity

[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This does not make me want mcd's.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 day ago (8 children)

yeah this doesn't effect me at all. there are enough other reasons not to buy it

  • it's shit now

  • it's expensive now

  • service sucks now

  • it's american

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[–] cloudy1999@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago

A hallmark of this era. Why please those you serve when you can instead infuriate them with a fraction of the effort and still turn a profit?

[–] bold_atlas@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Bad press for AI is good even if McDonald's gets some sort boost from the controversy (I don't think they will).

[–] falseWhite@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They did get a boost. No one's gonna boycott McDonald's for this, but the publicity and brand awareness they got from it is HUGE.

And this might actually boost AI too. Some people DID like the ad, so AI ad companies might just double down on making AI ads better, invest more money into r&d etc. Because if huge companies like McDonald's and coke are buying AI ads, there's definitely a market there.

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[–] frunch@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Maccas getting their grubby fingers in the rage economy 😒

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[–] EtnaAtsume@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I still haven't, nor the coke one.

[–] humorlessrepost@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

You’re in a thread about McDonalds, so they get the benefit of you seeing the ad without paying for the extra impression.

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[–] TomMasz@lemmy.world 90 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Even if wasn't AI it was still a shitty ad for expensive, mediocre food.

[–] TommySoda@lemmy.world 41 points 1 day ago (11 children)

That's what I find crazy. People used to eat there all the time because it was so cheap. These days you'll be lucky to find anything under $5 and most combos cost upwards of $15+. All my coworkers used to stop there for lunch between job sites but now they all just bring shit from home. If you are still eating there at this point my guess is you just like mediocre food. If beef prices weren't so messed up right now I'd say it'd be cheaper just to make it at home.

[–] CaptainPedantic@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (8 children)

If you want cheap food, Costco food court is where it's at. 15 bucks (if that) for a large meal, a drink, and some kind of dessert.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

some kind of dessert.

stop the hard sell buddy.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

Jeez, you eat ten $1.50 hotdog and soda combos in one sitting?!

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[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Probably get lunch and dinner for $15 at Costco Food Court. You would have more of an issue finding a place to sit and eat.

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[–] Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

iirc from their last financials hearings, revenue from lower class orders have dropped significantly, however thr median buyer group has started to spend more to offset those losses. mcdonalds I think had 2% growth suprisingly while the rest of the industry floundered.

basically it's people who wont pick a better place to get food proping mcdonalds

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[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The first two paragraphs of the article confirm it's AI generated. The only one denying it is the ad agency.

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[–] neuracnu@lemmy.blahaj.zone 58 points 1 day ago (18 children)
[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago

The ad was a weird take. I think it's a mixture of the message and the uncanny Ai. Even if the ad wasn't Ai, it'd be a really odd ad.

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There's definitely some AI in it, and it's definitely shit.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago

Some AI? It's all AI!

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Most definitely AI.

[–] lka1988@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago

Yeah, pretty much all of that hit my uncanny valley instincts. It was definitely, significantly edited after generation, but the clips themselves were...not right.

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[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"This wasn't an AI trick," she said. "It was a film."

Nah. It really was an AI trick.

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[–] kerthale@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The ad was just as synthetic as their food. Glad they pulled it though, it was really off to watch…

[–] if_only@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago

That is an unusually adept use of symbolism for a brand

[–] vcokltfre@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

Seven weeks just for slop that didn't convert a single customer.

[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 25 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Just seems like another lousy ad, AI or not.

I have no idea what ads look like anymore, so I have nothing to compare it to. So they should have been asking, who is going to see this? Maybe they did do that and figured the demographic wouldn't care.

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[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Gross, out of all the options to "hide out" in MD would be my last choice. It's loud, smelly, sticky, and their bathrooms are dirty. That's a bad ad. Way to really miss your target audience mark.

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I live in Japan and I actually kinda miss going there because it's pretty good here. Fast, cheap, friendly service, pretty clean and has cool happy meals for my kids. Unfortunately, my family has been boycotting US companies.

[–] etherphon@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (6 children)

I used to watch a lot of travel streams and it's amazing how much nicer the American chains are in other countries lol.

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[–] watson@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Exactly. We Jews know that the place to hide out on Christmas is a Chinese restaurant.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's the home base where you guys control everything?

[–] DickFiasco@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's where they hide the space laser control panel.

[–] watson@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

The launch code is “Kung pao chicken“

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[–] enphurgen@lemmy.world 11 points 18 hours ago

What a wholrsome message, I wonder why it flopped?

"Screw Christmas, Screw your family, come to McDonalds. We also made this with AI you stupid bitch"

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

Now I'm wondering if their meat is real. Time for me to switch to "Amburgers and Woot Beer" (A&W).

[–] ICCrawler@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

I'm sure McDs and Coke could push out terrible AI ads for the next decade and it wouldn't dampen their sales long term. An initial slump until everyone got over it, maybe. They're global brands that have gotten too damn big to fail.

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[–] wuffah@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I think if the last place I could go for comfort was McDonalds I would blow my fucking brains out.

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