Publish Date: Jun 22, 2026
Initiative unveiled at Cannes Lions signals the Unstereotype Alliance's next chapter: equipping the global advertising industry with practical skills to harness generative AI responsibly.
Nearly a decade after it was convened by UN Women, the Unstereotype Alliance today launched its first playbook for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in advertising, bringing the same rigour and collective ambition that has reshaped industry standards on inclusion to one of the most significant challenges now facing the marketing world.
Launched at Cannes Lions, the framework arrives at a moment of acute urgency. Concerning evidence shows that AI is exacerbating existing inequalities, while the actions to build in measures to mitigate bias and discrimination are minimal and insufficient. A study of 133 AI systems found that 44% demonstrated gender bias and 26% demonstrated both gender and racial bias1 . Yet only 51% of marketers currently use human oversight to test AI-generated creative before release2. Generative AI is now among the most widely used technologies in day-to-day marketing work, making the absence of structured guidance a significant and growing risk.
Developed under the leadership of Unstereotype Alliance Vice Chair Mars, with Diageo, Dove, Kantar, Getty Images, Mastercard, Microsoft, Mondelez International, Revolt and Clever Together, the 3Cs: Skills for Inclusive AI is a practical, plug-and-play tool designed to be applied every time generative AI is used in the communications development process, from research and insight generation through to campaign planning, creative ideation, asset creation, media buying and testing. Built around three core principles - Curate, Craft, Control - it gives marketers a simple, repeatable set of skills to address baked-in bias, build confidence in AI outputs and create richer, more inclusive work. The 3Cs reflects a core belief that with conscious, deliberate engagement, generative AI can be a force for more progressive portrayals of all people.
The playbook has been developed with and for the Unstereotype Alliance's 240+ member network, which spans the world's leading advertisers, agencies, platforms and industry bodies. Recognising that bias in AI is an industry-wide challenge, the core framework has been open-sourced and made freely available to all. The full playbook, including case studies and member guidance, is available exclusively to Unstereotype Alliance members.
Elspeth I'Anson, Unstereotype Alliance Secretariat at UN Women, said: “Cannes is where the industry comes to celebrate what advertising can be at its best. It is also the right moment to be honest about where the risks lie. Generative AI is reshaping how campaigns are planned, made and distributed, and the Alliance exists precisely to ensure that transformation serves inclusion rather than undermining it. We know from our members that practical, hands-on guidance is what moves the needle, and we are confident this framework will do exactly that. This is what the Alliance does best - bringing the industry together to build the tools that turn commitment into action."
The launch also marks a formal statement of strategic priorities for the Alliance, with AI and the creator economy identified as the two defining frontiers for inclusive advertising in the years ahead. The creator economy, where community, culture and commerce converge, represents a largely untapped opportunity for authentic, inclusive storytelling at scale. The Alliance will convene members, build evidence and develop tools across both areas as part of its new strategy.
Jacqui Stephenson, Global Responsible and Purpose Marketing Officer, Mars, and Deputy Vice Chair, Unstereotype Alliance, said: "Generative AI is already shaping creative decisions about who gets seen, how they are portrayed and what stories get told at scale. That is why shared standards matter. Without a common framework, good intentions will not be enough. This guidance gives our member network something concrete to work with and a shared baseline that makes responsible practice achievable."
Isabel Massey, Global Head of Media and Integrated Brand Experiences, Unilever, and Deputy Vice Chair, Unstereotype Alliance, said: “We’re proud to contribute learnings from Dove’s Real Beauty Prompt Playbook, which has helped set new digital standards for representation and advance the responsible integration of artificial intelligence. As the Unstereotype Alliance approaches its 10th anniversary, it continues to evolve in step with the media landscape, with the creator economy shaping culture at scale and opening up new opportunities to deliver authentic, relevant and credible content that builds desire responsibly.”
Since its founding in 2017, the Alliance has built one of the most significant bodies of evidence and practice in the industry. Its Inclusion = Income report, the first global study of its kind to draw a direct link between inclusive advertising and commercial performance, demonstrated that brands advertising inclusively generates stronger short and long-term sales, higher consideration and greater pricing power. Across 12 national chapters, the Alliance has convened brands, agencies, platforms and industry bodies around a shared commitment to unstereotyping advertising. Its Gender Unstereotype Metric has now measured more than 37,000 ads across 89 countries, giving the industry a consistent, evidence-based tool to evaluate progress. The launch of the AI framework marks the next evolution of that work.
The core 3Cs framework is available to all at here. The full playbook, including member case studies and implementation guidance, is available exclusively to Unstereotype Alliance members.
ENDS
For further information contact melda.simon@unwomen.org
About the Unstereotype Alliance
The Unstereotype Alliance seeks to eradicate harmful stereotypes from advertising and media to help create a more equal world. Convened by UN Women, the Alliance collectively acts to empower people in all their diversity by using advertising as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world. Launched at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2017, the global membership of the Unstereotype Alliance currently stands at 240 companies, with 12 national chapters across five continents that tackle culturally-nuanced stereotypes at a local level (http://www.unstereotypealliance.org).