Provincial Crown corporation halts AI-made holiday ad after negative reactions
New Brunswick — NB Liquor is facing backlash over a holiday video campaign created with artificial intelligence, prompting a government minister to order the ad pulled.
Ad described as “creatively insulting” by some in the creative community
Sam Farley · CBC News
Posted: Dec 04, 2025 4:36 PM EST | Updated recently
An audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech AI.
The spot opens on a warmly lit, snowy front porch. A steady stream of people appear, each proudly holding a bottle of wine, spirit, or beer. The scene radiates holiday coziness, inviting viewers to stock up for the season.
Yet none of the smiling faces, nor the bottles they carry, are real. The commercial was produced with artificial intelligence, and the resulting reaction has been strong enough for a government minister to demand its removal while conversations about the future use of generative AI continue.
NB Liquor says the AI element was chosen to manage costs rather than replace staff or direction, noting that the concept, narrative, and standards still guided the project. “AI didn’t replace our team or our creative direction,” spokespersons stated, adding that the technique was used to experiment with a different approach, similar to how animation or other methods are used.
Luke Randall, the minister overseeing NB Liquor, told reporters he asked the Crown corporation to pause the ad after becoming aware of the concerns. While emphasizing a general hesitancy to interfere with NB Liquor, he acknowledged that New Brunswickers voiced worries about the campaign.
Randall described AI use as part of a broader national conversation and said NB Liquor should discuss its AI practices further. He reiterated the government’s preference to support local talent, but he did not confirm whether AI would be barred from future NB Liquor adverts.
Reaction from industry professionals
Pierre-Luc Arseneau, a freelance filmmaker and graphic artist from New Brunswick who previously worked on NB Liquor’s Christmas spot, criticized the decision. He told CBC Radio’s Shift that losing a contract to AI feels more disheartening than losing to a human competitor, and he could tell the ad relied on AI techniques.
Arseneau pointed to obvious AI traits: garbled writing on bottle labels, odd backgrounds, odd lighting, and actors’ unnatural movements. He noted that winter work is already slow and that projects like NB Liquor’s can be a meaningful opportunity for local professionals—opportunities that may disappear as AI becomes more prevalent in the industry.
“I know it’s inevitable, but it’s still scary,” he said.
Academic perspectives view the ad as disjointed for a New Brunswick audience
Robert Gray, a film professor at the University of New Brunswick, labeled the campaign as “creatively insulting.” He argued that the ad fails to reflect New Brunswick or its artists, describing it as lacking a meaningful story and a tangible connection to the province.
Gray emphasized that NB is a place where local representation often goes missing on screen, calling the decision a missed chance to highlight regional talent.
He worried the ad’s global look undermines the local identity NB Liquor publicly aims to support and suggested that more authentic, locally produced work could have strengthened the brand’s connection with residents.
About the author
Sam Farley is a CBC New Brunswick correspondent based in Fredericton. Originally from the Boston area, he studied journalism at the University of King’s College in Halifax. He can be reached at sam.farley@cbc.ca
Note: This report includes material from Silas Brown and Shift.
