Toys R Us has recently made waves in the advertising world with the release of a brand ad created using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology. The toy company collaborated with the creative agency Native Foreign to produce the ad using OpenAI’s innovative text-to-video tool known as Sora.
The ad showcases the late founder of Toys R Us, Charles Lazarus, as a child envisioning the iconic store and features the beloved mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe. According to Kim Miller Olko, the global chief marketing officer of Toys R Us, the goal was to pay tribute to Lazarus’s visionary spirit by leveraging the most advanced technology available. She emphasized how the brand seeks to connect with consumers in unique and emotional ways through innovation.
Nik Kleverov, the chief creative officer at Native Foreign, praised Sora for enabling the teams to create the ad swiftly and efficiently. By utilizing Sora, Toys R Us Studios and Native Foreign were able to produce the ad in just a few weeks, condensing numerous iterations into a streamlined final product. While the AI video tool played a significant role in the ad’s creation, the teams also incorporated corrective visual effects and original music.
Upon sharing the ad on X, AI video maker and educator Allen T. noted areas for improvement, such as the generation of hands and inconsistencies in Lazarus’s depictions. Reacting to the ad, viewers expressed a mix of opinions, with some praising it as awesome and dope, while others criticized it as terrible and damaging to the brand.
The unveiling of the Toys R Us ad coincides with a broader discussion in creative industries regarding the impact of generative AI on the traditional creative process. The Hollywood writers’ strike last summer highlighted concerns around the use of AI in content creation, prompting agreements to restrict its involvement in certain aspects of writing.
Despite these challenges, Kleverov views both the creative sector and the toy company as undergoing a renaissance, positioning Toys R Us as a trailblazer in adopting an AI-forward strategy. The ad serves as a testament to the evolving landscape of advertising and the ongoing intersection of technology and creativity in marketing efforts.
