Unilever Automates Marketing Design With AI Tool
Unilever is optimizing its marketing through an AI-accelerated process that uses a design tool to automate asset creation, allowing the company to more quickly react to timely social media trends.
The company is using a new in-house graphic design studio called Sketch Pro in select test markets, with plans to scale the effort to 21 markets by 2026. Right now, it is available in London, São Paulo, Mumbai, Jakarta, Durban, Shanghai and Istanbul, with the next launch slated for Southeast Asia.
Also: Unilever bolsters social listening strategy with artificial intelligence
Mario Dughi, the digital, design and media director for Unilever's home care segment, said the tool will help reshape how brands within the category are perceived by creating emotionally resonant content that accentuates features such as fragrance and aesthetics.
"We’re shifting consumer perception from purely rational to deeply emotive," he said, particularly important for a category that has been traditionally focused on functional benefits.
How the Tool Works
Sketch Pro uses the expertise of designers paired with team members from marketing and advanced AI capabilities to accelerate speed to market and improve the quality of creative assets.
By using the tool, designers and marketers can wean off more manual, time-intensive tasks by leaning on automations that allow for "quick iterations based on live feedback and shifting trends."
According to Dughi, teams are now able to go from idea to consumer test in just two hours — a process that normally takes days or weeks with a traditional in-house or agency approach.
Case Studies
During Ramadan, the Jakarta team at Unilever created content for Rinso and Sunlight using social trends. The company identified the trends in the morning via social listening, then went live within hours. The assets garnered over 6 million organic views and increased the brands’ TikTok visibility by over 22%.
Following Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres' Oscar nomination, Unilever jumped on the viral moment by inserting its fabric care product into the sitcom Tapas & Beijo. Sughi said the approach helped Unilever quickly join the conversation in a relatable way.
"Ultimately, it enables us to create content that feels more relevant, joyful and desirable — grounded in cultural moments — helping brands secure their place in broader lifestyle conversations," said Sughi.
Each studio uses tech that is best suited for the task at hand, according to Sughi. This allows Unilever to remain nimble in its approach while reflecting local nuance that aligns with each brand's identity.
"The Sketch Pro startup mindset and ability to rapidly adopt emerging technologies means the model will continually evolve, setting new benchmarks for how marketing operations can be both efficient and creatively ambitious," he said.
