Making ads
AI Commercials: What McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Aldi Teach Us
Which ads were made with AI? McDonald's pulled its Dutch AI Christmas ad, Aldi switched to an AI voice. What worked, what failed and what to learn.
Written by Genly's AI team, reviewed by Marlon Bonink
· 5 min read
AI in advertising is no longer the future. Big brands already use it: for voices, for full commercials, for holiday spots that normally take months to produce. Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails spectacularly. What can business owners learn from the AI commercials of the past few years?
Short answer: Aldi Netherlands has used an AI voice in its ads since April 2024, Coca-Cola made AI holiday commercials in 2024 and 2025, and McDonald's Netherlands pulled its AI Christmas ad in December 2025 after a backlash. The lesson: viewers do not reject AI because it is AI, but when it looks fake and lacks feeling. AI works best for speed and variations, with people in charge of the story.
A timeline of notable AI commercials
| When | Brand | What | Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | Aldi Netherlands | An AI voice replaces actor Diederik Ebbinge in radio and TV ads | Debate about voice actors; Aldi called it faster and cheaper |
| November 2024 | Coca-Cola | The classic "Holidays Are Coming" ad remade with AI | Heavy criticism: "soulless" |
| November 2025 | Coca-Cola | Another AI holiday ad, now with animals instead of people | More criticism, but the brand stuck with AI |
| December 2025 | McDonald's Netherlands | AI Christmas ad "It's the Most Terrible Time of the Year" | Pulled after criticism |
Aldi: the AI voice
Since April 2024, Aldi's Dutch ads no longer feature actor Diederik Ebbinge but an AI voice, built from recordings of ten female Aldi employees. The idea came from the agency Joe Public. Aldi said it was faster and cheaper, partly because the brand no longer pays voice rights. Ebbinge called it a worrying development for actors, for whom voicing commercials is an important side income.
The interesting part: this was the voice reading out weekly deals, not an emotional story. In a practical message an AI voice stands out less than in a holiday tale. Rival supermarket Jumbo went the other way with a well-known actor, Frank Lammers, who said an AI voice has "no feeling at all".
Coca-Cola: AI for the most famous holiday ad
In 2024 Coca-Cola remade its famous holiday commercial with AI. The reactions were harsh: critics said it lacked the warmth that made the original so loved. In 2025 the brand did it again, this time with a cast of animals instead of people, possibly to sidestep tricky AI faces. According to Coca-Cola's marketing leadership, production was much faster than before. The criticism continued, but the brand stood by its choice.
McDonald's Netherlands: pulled after criticism
In early December 2025, McDonald's Netherlands released a 45 second AI Christmas ad: "It's the Most Terrible Time of the Year", a nod to the classic song, showing holiday mishaps on Amsterdam streets. Online criticism followed: viewers said you could tell "from miles away" it was AI, scenes changed very quickly and the holiday feeling was missing. McDonald's took the ad down, acknowledging the message had landed differently than intended. Notably, some viewers did not understand the fuss and found the ad funny.
Why some AI commercials fail
| Cause | What viewers see | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| It looks fake | Odd faces, hands, movement | Calm shots, check every frame |
| No story | Pretty images without feeling | Start from a human insight, not the technology |
| Wrong moment | AI for an emotional occasion like the holidays | Use AI where speed matters, people where feeling matters |
| Cut too fast | Short shots because AI clips are short | Plan the structure upfront, edit deliberately |
| Hiding it | Pretending it is real | Be open about using AI |
What does work
For most businesses the lesson is not "no AI" but "AI in the right place":
- Variations and testing. AI creates ten versions of an ad in minutes. That is the biggest win.
- Practical messages. A deal, a product explainer, new opening hours. AI is fine there.
- People for the story. You decide the idea, the tone and the feeling.
- Honesty. An AI presenter that says what it is builds more trust than one pretending to be real.
For the bigger picture, read the future of marketing. Curious how it works in practice? See our case studies.
Rules: disclosure since August 2026
Since August 2, 2026, the EU AI Act requires realistic AI images, video and voices that could pass as real to be clearly disclosed as AI. A visible line or the platform's label is enough. Our AI transparency page lists the rules and a checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Are ads allowed to be made with AI?
Yes. There is no ban on AI in advertising. Ads must be honest, and in the EU realistic AI content must be disclosed since August 2026.
Does an AI-made ad need to say so?
For realistic images, video or voices that could pass as real, yes. For clearly illustrated or animated content, no. An AI voice imitating a real person requires consent.
How can you spot an AI commercial?
Look at hands, faces and on-screen text, very short shots and movement that is slightly unnatural. More and more often there is also a label.
Editor
Marlon Bonink
Co-founder of Genly
This article was written by Genly's AI team and reviewed by Marlon before it went live. How we work with AI: AI transparency.
