FMG giant Unilever has unveiled an AI-powered design studio network, Sketch Pro, aimed at accelerating content production across its Home Care division.
Built in partnership with creative production company IPG Studios, the initiative is already live in London, São Paulo, Mumbai, and Jakarta, with plans to expand to 21 markets by 2026—including Istanbul, Durban, and Shanghai.
Sketch Pro serves as an in‑house centre of excellence for graphic design, using a modular suite of artificial intelligence tools, including Large Language Models, Adobe Firefly and Google Veo3.
Rather than relying on a single platform, the flexible stack allows the team to adapt quickly to emerging technologies and respond to market needs. The system also claims to produce a consumer-ready design concept within two hours, and Unilever says it delivers assets up to three times faster than traditional production models.
The studios are part of a broader shift from linear, TV-first content strategies towards shorter-form, digital-first assets tailored for social platforms. Unilever’s marketing teams use the tools to rapidly prototype and iterate on visual content that can respond to real-time trends and local cultural moments.
Initial results point to both speed and performance gains. In Jakarta, Sketch Pro produced Ramadan-themed content that generated more than six million organic views on TikTok, increasing visibility for its products Rinso and Sunlight by 22%.
In São Paulo, design assets timed with Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres’s Oscar nomination saw a 4% reduction in Meta advertising costs, Unilever claims.
In Mumbai meanwhile, design workflows are now 2.5 times faster than previous systems, while in London, the ‘Comfort’ team have reported delivered more than 30 concepts at a speed seven times faster than before.
“The magic of Sketch Pro lies in how it fuses top-tier human creativity with best-in-class technology,” said Mario Dughi, global marketing director at Unilever.
“Our partnership with IPG supercharges our ability to ideate, iterate and deliver high-quality design assets with speed and cultural relevance, reflecting how consumers now engage with the home care category.”
Sebastiano Mura, head of business leadership at IPG Studios EMEA, added: “This integration allows us to create compelling, culturally relevant content at speed. Our flexible tech stack is tailored to Unilever’s needs and adaptable to each Home Care brand’s unique identity.”
Controversy in Cannes
At this year’s global ad production fest Cannes Lions — where AI dominated the programme — industry leaders voiced both enthusiasm and caution. Many agencies welcomed AI’s ability to reduce production time and automate repetitive tasks, while others questioned whether such tools could deliver the emotional nuance required for award-winning creative.
Meta and Qualcomm demonstrated generative AI systems that saved thousands of work hours per month, though some creatives argued the festival was at risk of being overwhelmed by AI hype.
Tom Beckman, jury president for the PR Lions category, acknowledged that AI is lowering production barriers and transforming creative tools, but said it is not yet responsible for breakthrough work. Other commentators described AI more as a collaborator than a creator — useful for scaling ideas and accelerating delivery, but not yet a substitute for strategic or emotional intelligence.
Sketch Pro reflects that same pragmatic approach. By keeping creative development in-house and building an AI-native studio model, Unilever retains control over its brand expression while reaping efficiency gains.
The company is also exploring broader AI applications across its operations — from demand forecasting and inventory optimisation to personalised digital marketing and media planning.
Other consumer goods companies are adopting similar strategies. Procter & Gamble has developed an AI-powered content engine that it claims has reduced digital production costs by 30%, while improving campaign responsiveness across global markets.
