Written by Toy Packaging has become very important to the adult consumer market.
What used to be carelessly torn apart and quickly discarded as a child has now become a showpiece to many adult collectors, celebrated not just for creativity of design but inguinuty in construction. To some collectors the packaging (and its overall condition) has become as crucial as the toy protected inside.
So it is interesting to note that when it comes to Mattel Toys in 2024, those packages we admire may no longer be entirely a human creation. It may have been created with the help of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence).
It apparently all started last year. Mattel’s Chief Design Officer Chris Down began offering Adobe generative AI software called “Firefly” to all of its toy brand departments to help toy packaging designers create “compelling packing“, per the reporting of Fast Company. And apparently these A.I. assisted designed packages “are expected to hit shelves in the coming months.“
The Adobe Firefly A.I software allows designers (with simple text prompts) to instantly generate high-quality imagery and color palette ideas. The Firefly software is reported to have a strict approach to copyright and IP laws, where the software is trained only on stock images that Adobe already owns (plus openly licensed content and public-domain content).
As Mattel’s Chris Down explains, incorporating A.I. will help his team move faster:
“Mattel makes about 4,000 new toys a year, and a lot of that is packaging. There’s a high volume of stuff—and that gives the first clue as to why we’d be interested in tools that would make the outcomes better or stronger, would allow the creative process to move faster, and would give us a production or creative execution advantage.”
– Chris Down, Chief Design Officer at Mattel
So far, the A.I. in Adobe Firefly reportedly has only been used by Mattel packaging designers in two ways: “helping to visualize fantastical new toy ideas in the pitching stage, and cutting down the extra labor associated with Photoshop’s more time-consuming tasks.”
Also so far, Mattel designers are reportedly not required to use the Firefly A.I. software at this point, but have the option to integrate the software into their daily workflow.
Regardless of what the future holds, the Mattel packages you start to see on toy shelves later this year, may be a design created with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
We’ll see you next time.
It’s the end of days.
And this is why For Eternia is my favorite site. Great post. Keep it up.
I don’t have a problem with AI assistance with art, and I don’t think the MOTU brand need the kind of help discussed in the article.
You know the technology is going to get better. You know they are going to expand its use and jobs will be lost over this.
This may be naive but perhaps Mattel won’t let this generative AI become as bleak as you suggest and only allow it to be another tool in their toolkit.
A.I.-generated artwork is not copyrightable, and cannot be used for commercial applications. The generative A.I. that is used in Adobe Firefly is more a shortcut for photo retouching.
Firefly is more than photo retouching and package designing is more than artwork. The art is just a puzzle piece stitched in. The jobs I’m talking about are the package designers.
I have both used Adobe Firefly and designed packaging for consumer goods. Per the article, Mattel is limiting the use of Firefly for photo retouching and skinning mock-ups. Largely, because as I stated, wholly A.I.-generated artwork is not copyrightable according to the U.S. Supreme Court, making it not useable for commercial applications. Company A does not want to invest capital in commercial artwork that Company B can co-opt for free and with no legal recourse, because Company A does not hold the exclusive rights to it in the first place.
I do not forsee any packaging designers losing their jobs over the use of generative A.I. It is largely a tool that is a concepting and retouching shortcut for people who are already producing a large volume of assets. It is kind of a nothing-burger press release, because the CEO of Mattel wants the company to seem cutting-edge.
I completely agree. AI can be another toolkit just like computers are.
Actual artists > AI
I loathe AI and hope I get the T-800 when they start going back in time….
Not an artist, or anyone that would use AI for art so can only give an outside opinion. So long as it is a tool that helps I am all for shortcuts. It will impact jobs as all new booms do but hopefully it won’t be big this time. I Also do think we consumers should know what part is AI and what is not. Since the copyright issue has been brought in what harm could it be to know that the colours were assisted or the placement of the words. I just don’t want to see those that have managed to work on the brand that are fans get pushed out.
I read elsewhere that a Chinese designer used A.I. to mock-up the packaging for this: Mattel apologizes after porn site mistakenly printed on ‘Wicked’ doll box.
And because English is not his native language, he did not recognize the error. The account team and the legal team in America should have caught it though.
This is what happens when you outsource labor, and have demanding timelines.
@adam_prince-of-eternia I think Masterverse is made in Vietnam but your point is still valid.
According to a former Mattel packaging designer, Barbie packaging is now outsourced to China. He has not worked for the company in years, so his information may not be the most up-to-date.