PIZZA-LA ran an unapproved TikTok advert for its official Dr. STONE collaboration after an AI advertising feature was left active during campaign setup, the Japanese pizza chain's operator said on 6 November 2026.
Four Seeds said staff completed the advertising setup without realising that TikTok's automatic ad-generation and delivery feature was enabled. The company said it stopped the video, paused all PIZZA-LA advertising on TikTok and apologised directly to the anime's production committee.
【TVアニメ「Dr.STONE」とのコラボレーションに関する広告配信についてのお詫び】多大なるご心配とご迷惑をおかけしましたことを、心よりお詫び申し上げます。 https://t.co/5N2Y05L83S https://t.co/yiLbuaMhhP
— ピザーラ (@pizzala_jp) November 6, 2026
The promotion had already ended when the apology was issued. It ran in Japan from 1 October to 1 November, and was announced on the anime's website at launch. The campaign offered a half-and-half pizza, with a beef curry side inspired by François and a Mediterranean Margherita side themed around the Kingdom of Science.
The pizza came in a sleeve printed with illustrations drawn for the campaign. Limited sets included a keyholder or an acrylic coaster. The promotional artwork featured characters including Senku Ishigami, Dr. Xeno and Gen Asagiri.
Viewers Questioned the Dr. STONE Artwork
The video shown on PIZZA-LA's TikTok account featured character poses and expressions that differed from those in the published campaign illustrations. Some images also appeared to use a different drawing style.
That prompted viewers to ask whether AI had changed the artwork and whether the production committee had approved its use. Four Seeds later said the video had run without the committee's prior review or permission.
On 26 October, a viewer shared screenshots on X and questioned whether the collaboration covered the use of AI. The post had more than 3.18 million reported views by 6 November. Four Seeds did not give an audience figure for the TikTok advert or say how long it had been running.
How the Unapproved Advert Went Live
Four Seeds said staff had not fully realised that TikTok's automatic generation and delivery feature was active when they completed the advertising setup. The video then ran as an advert through PIZZA-LA's official account without prior review or permission from the production committee.
The company said it had failed to check the advertising settings adequately. It also apologised for taking time to verify what had happened before making a public statement.
Four Seeds said it had reported the incident to the production committee. Its statement did not give further details about when the committee was contacted or what response, if any, it had made.
What Four Seeds Disclosed About the AI Feature
Four Seeds described what the automated setting did but did not name the feature. Its statement gave no details about whether the system edited existing illustrations, generated new images or used a combination of the two.
TikTok offers AI tools that can modify materials uploaded by advertisers, including by resizing images or changing background music. However, the information provided by Four Seeds does not establish which tool was used or what changes, if any, it made to the video.
TikTok's advertising policy bars ads that infringe copyright. But Four Seeds' account focused on the production committee's approval process and provided no details about the terms of the collaboration. The available information therefore does not establish whether the video infringed copyright; it says the committee had not reviewed or approved it.
Four Seeds apologised to fans, customers and others involved in the collaboration, saying the incident had damaged trust in a promotion intended to celebrate the anime. The company said it would review how staff check advertising settings and how it oversees content before it reaches viewers.
Its statement gave no date for resuming PIZZA-LA's TikTok advertising or completing the review. It also did not say whether the video would be revised and submitted to the production committee.
