Shimamura's Birthday Brand Draws Backlash Over 'Eerie' AI-Generated Ads
# Shimamura# Birthday# generative AI# ad backlash# brand image
Key Points
- Low-price kids' brand Birthday (Shimamura group) drew heavy criticism for ads made with generative AI.
- Complaints included 'the children's faces all look the same — eerie' and 'it looks cheap.'
- Firms using AI-generated images and video in ads keep sparking backlash.
Analysis
Since ChatGPT arrived, AI has spread widely — but firms using AI-generated images and video in ads keep igniting backlash. Now it's low-price kids' brand Birthday (Shimamura group): its generative-AI ads drew heavy criticism, with viewers calling the children's identical faces 'eerie' and the result 'cheap.'
For brand and marketing people, it's a reminder: AI imagery saves cost but can spend trust. Categories like children's apparel, which sell warmth and reassurance, are especially unforgiving of 'fake faces.' The issue isn't whether AI is used, but whether customers feel fobbed off. Watch whether the brand retreats to real photography or simply wields AI more carefully.