What the Toys"R"Us AI commercial showed
A founder myth. Young Charles Lazarus falls asleep in his father’s bicycle shop and dreams of Geoffrey the Giraffe and a fantastical toy store.
A dream sequence is a clever brief for AI. Dreams are allowed to be strange. The trouble was the boy: a human face carried the whole film, and faces are where generated video slips.
How the Toys"R"Us Sora ad landed
Critics objected to the AI and found the film unsettling. Ars Technica pointed to unnatural movement, strange artifacts and the irregular shape of the boy’s glasses.
It was one of the first brand films made with Sora, and it set the template every later AI commercial was judged by: count the glitches first, ask about the idea later.
What the Toys"R"Us AI ad teaches advertisers
Pick subjects AI is good at. A human child carrying an emotional story is the hardest shot there is.
- Dreams, animals, objects and stylised worlds forgive AI. Close-up faces do not.
- If a face has to carry the ad, keep it the same face every time. How to lock a character covers the reference-sheet trick.
- Being early buys coverage, not goodwill.
Director by Sprites is a full creative team for your startup. Every Monday you get finished, on-brand video ads, reviewed by a human. You never write a prompt.
More AI commercials
Every brand that has run an AI-made commercial, with how each one landed, is on the AI commercials hub.
See every AI commercial so far, what the generators cost per ad in video ad pricing, and the models behind them in AI video tools.
Frequently asked questions
Was the Toys"R"Us commercial made with AI?
Yes. Origin Story, released in 2024, was made with OpenAI’s Sora video model.
What was wrong with the Toys"R"Us AI ad?
Ars Technica pointed out unnatural movement, strange visual artifacts and glasses that changed shape on the boy’s face, and many viewers found it unsettling.
Want AI where it helps and film where it counts?
Knowing which shot to generate is the job. Director by Sprites is a full creative team for your startup, in private beta. Every Monday you get finished, on-brand video ads, reviewed by a human. You pick the winners. Sprites ships the campaigns.