The artfully photographed images of fast food we see in advertising don't always bear resemblance to what actually gets put on a tray for us in-store.
We've all been seduced by the photos of the burgers, fries and milkshakes on the glowing screens, only to be served a paltry equivalent.
McDonald's recently released a new festive hot drink called the Millionaire's Latte - and it sounded brilliant.
It's supposed to be a large shot of espresso blended with steamed milk and a caramel biscuit flavour syrup. It's then topped with a swirl of chocolate cream and a caramel drizzle - yum.
But some customers have been very underwhelmed by what they've been served by the global chain, and they've taken to social media to share their photos.
@McDonaldsUK was looking forward to my 1st millionaires latte expecting the cream and toffee on top and was totally disappointed with it! Thanks McDonald’s ?? pic.twitter.com/Oe0sDTzSVQ
— Lou-bou (@LouLou16692) November 11, 2018
Hey @McDonalds what’s the deal with my millionaires latté? No cream or caramel and an inch missing??? ? you clearly don’t understand the relationship I have with coffee #CafffeineLife ???❤️☕️ pic.twitter.com/ZlzVVbOxVl
— Amber (@AmberlandUK) November 20, 2018
Some have been saying the drink doesn't look ANYTHING like the pictures, even accusing the fast food giant of false advertising as their drinks were missing ingredients.
One wrote on Twitter: "@McDonalds - is this really what a millionaires latte looks like? I took the lid off and there’s nothing special on top. #falseadvertising me thinks?
Another said: "was looking forward to my 1st millionaires latte expecting the cream and toffee on top and was totally disappointed with it!"
Others branded it "vile", an "anti-climax" and "terrible".
One man shared a very sad-looking picture of half a cup of coffee with no toppings, claiming that's what his order looked like.
FALSE ADVERTISING!! what I expect my millionaires latte to look like... VS reality!! @McDonalds #whatareyouplayingat #sodisappointed pic.twitter.com/HUN1fZLS4U
— clo (@chloeellen_) November 16, 2018
When you go to McDonald’s for a millionaires latte....to be given this ?? @McDonalds absolute joke! pic.twitter.com/Sy4yWmONGT
— charlene_x (@charlauld) November 11, 2018
@McDonalds - is this really what a millionaires latte looks like? I took the lid off and there’s nothing special on top. #falseadvertising me thinks? pic.twitter.com/pttVvmPjQq
— Matt Green (@Matthew_C_Green) November 21, 2018
He wrote: "millionaire latte taking the p***. No cream and half a cup!!!"
Another disappointed customer said: "went to mcdonalds in dundee tonight for what i thought was gonna be a millionaires latte and got this disaster i know mcdonalds never look like the pics you advertise but this is a joke surely".
Dozens more customers have shared their expectation versus reality photos, comparing the company's slick marketing shots with their chocolatey coffees.
One person even slammed the taste of the drink as "cheesy", claiming they threw it straight in the bin.
Not everyone was disappointed, as several people said it was actually "well nice" and "the best thing".
A spokesperson for McDonald's said: "As with any cream on top of a hot drink, if left for a period of time, our swirl of chocolate cream and a caramel drizzle will blend into the latte.
"Most of our customers are loving it too much to leave it that long, but if it does melt then you'll still get all of the great flavours, just combined with your drink instead of on top."
