Eish, to be an advertiser in this modern, overly PC world is surely a thing of nightmares.

Playing on the idea of loss, the latest McDonald’s advert over in the UK focuses on a boy who asks his mom about his late father.

Launched on Friday, the ad was supposed to run for seven weeks, but “feedback from child bereavement groups in the UK may have changed that,’ reports Mashable.

The groups argued that the ad might be “confusing children who were dealing with loss and trivialising the grieving process — all for the sake of a product”.

Fair point – watching the ad is a little sad, and even though there’s a glimmer of happiness at the end it’s unfortunate it has to do with a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish burger.

See for yourself:

Created by Leo Burnett London, the ad has prompted McDonald’s UK to apologise.

Many found it offensive, to which the hamburger chain said in an email statement, “We apologise for any upset this advert has caused. This was by no means an intention of ours.

“The commercial, which was originally scheduled to run throughout the UK, was supposed to “highlight the role McDonald’s has played in our customers’ everyday lives – both in good and difficult times,” the company said in the statement.

Now, even the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority is looking into whether the sentimental ad went too far.

It’s safe to say McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish probably won’t be a customer favourite anytime soon.

[source:mashable]