Toys ‘R’ Us Showcases AI-Driven Film at Cannes Lions 2024

By Madz Dizon

Jun 26, 2024 02:02 AM EDT

Toys ‘R’ Us Showcases AI-Driven Film at Cannes Lions 2024
The logo on the front of a Toys 'R' Us store that is set to close down is photographed in south London on February 9, 2018.
(Photo : DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

OpenAI's non-public generative AI video model Sora is used by retailer Toys 'R' Us in its most recent brand video, which incorporates AI-generated content. 

A short promotions film was unveiled by the retail toy brand at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival in France this week. The film was produced using OpenAI's new text-to-video tool, showcasing the brand's innovative approach.

Toys 'R' Us Debuts First Film Using Exclusive Sora Technology



The company's entertainment studio collaborated with creative agency Native Foreign, which at first had early access to Sora.

According to CNN, Toys 'R' Us claims to be the first brand to release a film utilizing this technology. The tool is currently unavailable to the public.

The film showcases the early days of the toy store chain's founder, Charles Lazarus, as he conceives the idea for his iconic retail creation and its beloved giraffe mascot, Geoffrey.

However, the majority of the story unfolds within a surreal and otherworldly realm. The character's behavior is reminiscent of M3GAN, but with a touch of Opie Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show. It's as if they were set free in a toy store that had exploded on the outskirts of the universe.

Toys "R" Us mentioned that they utilized corrective visual effects and an original music score, along with Sora.

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OpenAI's Sora

Sora, an AI model developed by OpenAI, has the ability to generate vivid and creative scenes based on textual instructions.

In February, OpenAI unveiled its video generating model. Sora has the ability to create videos that are approximately one minute in duration based on written prompts. The information is not currently accessible to the general public, Engadget reported.

Experts have expressed their belief that AI models capable of converting text into video have the potential to shake up the digital entertainment market.

Kim Miller, the Chief Marketing Officer of Toys 'R' Us Creative studios, shared with CNN that the idea for their latest project came to her during a brand storytelling group. She expressed her desire to create something unique and enjoyable, specifically focusing on the origin story of the company's founder.

After Native Foreign became an early tester of Sora, Miller received a proposal from chief creative officer Nik Kleverov to join forces.

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