In a new McDonald's commercial, a young British boy mourning the loss of his father yearns to find some kind of connection, but soon realizes he doesn't have his dad's way with the ladies, athletic ability or even the same eye color.

But hey, he can always take solace in the fact they both liked to order a Filet-O-Fish at McDonald's.

That's the gist of the McDonald's U.K. ad that has the company apologizing in response to criticisms of insensitivity for what it hoped would be a heartwarming commercial.

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The ad created by London-based firm Leo Burnett was released on Friday and has received a backlash from U.K.-based child bereavement groups, according to the BBC. It is slated to run for the next seven weeks but could potentially be curtailed.

"This was by no means an intention of ours,'' a McDonald's U.K. spokesperson told the BBC. "We wanted to highlight the role McDonald's has played in our customers' everyday lives - both in good and difficult times."

The commercial has drawn criticism from those who saw it as cynically exploiting a child who lost a parent to sell fast food.

New #McDonalds advert, cynically using the story of a kid's dead dad is trashy beyond belief. Who needs 2 parents when you have McNuggets? — Tony Richman (@TonyLRichman) May 12, 2017

I am sickened and disgusted by this advert. Lost my dad at 9. Memories? Yes .Burger? No! Shameful ad #McDonalds — Cate Wilson (@Cate43) May 12, 2017

Trying to decide if the new McDonald's advert takes the crown for Most Poorly Conceived Advertisement or not — James (@JamesWithAnE) May 15, 2017

If the only resemblance I had to my father (dead or alive) was our love for McDonalds tartar sauce, I'd be asking for a DNA test #McDonalds — Cookie (@cookiedunknow) May 16, 2017

The McDonald's ad is the latest branding misstep by a well-known company.

Following a huge online outpouring last month, Pepsi pulled a controversial commercial starring Kendall Jenner turning a street protest into a celebration by handing a police officer a can of Pepsi.

Last week, Dove U.K. faced a backlash when it announced a limited edition range of body washes shaped like different women's body types, from tall and slender to short and squat.

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