What the Toys “R” Us AI movie overlooks
I’ll say this for the Toys ‘R’ Us movie: it’s a lot shorter than Barbie. Way shorter than Oppenheimer. Even for someone like me who’s sick of epically time-consuming films, though, I’ll admit it left me wanting a little more.
Late last month the New York-based retailer boasted it was the first to use Open AI’s Sora technology to create a branded video, which it premiered at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
Here’s the synopsis – and don’t worry, there’s no need for spoiler alerts here:
The brand piece tells the story of Toys”R”Us founder Charles Lazarus and his idea that transformed toy stores forever, featuring the beloved mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe coming to him in a dream – a dream that came true much to the delight of generations of children.
Looking something like a cross between Raggedy Andy and Howdy Doodie, the Lazarus character appears to be hanging out in his father’s bicycle shop with little to do but take a mid-afternoon nap.
The dream sequence that follows has him traipsing through a sort of galaxy in which toys are littered everywhere, including glowing shelves outfitted with silver lightbulbs and stuffed with toys in no particular order.
Nothing about the film even remotely resembles a real-life Toys “R” Us store. Which may be for the best.
‘Us” vs. them
When I recently visited a Toys “R” Us location to buy a gift for one of my children’s friend’s birthday parties, I initially went into sticker shock over the fact that what are essentially cheap pieces of plastic (like action figures) are now worth $30 to $50 in many cases.
The store associates didn’t smile and only grudgingly checked a price for me. The layout seemed random.
Perhaps these impressions aren’t fair given I’m only an occasional toy shopper now, and this was only one location. But the Toys “R” Us movie was an opportunity to do more than create a hagiography of its origins.
Playing to win
We saw last summer how the Barbie movie (and presumably all the Mattel movies that will follow) can enhance the experience of playing with a toy. In this case, though, the Toys “R” Us movie should have expressed its vision for delivering an outstanding experience when shopping for a toy.
Even if Toys “R” Us hadn’t fully realized that vision, it would have been okay. The movie could have made its customers feel part of a journey the retailer is taking, where the experience will continue to get better.
This felt more like an AI stunt, and a self-congratulatory one at that. If there’s a future where Toys “R” Us becomes a CX innovator, even Geoffrey the Giraffe would need to crane his neck to see it.
