L’Oréal, the multinational cosmetics company, has begun integrating artificial‑intelligence tools into its daily digital advertising workflow. The move, announced in early 2026, focuses on video and visual content creation across the brand’s worldwide marketing channels. The company reports that the technology is intended to reduce production friction while keeping human oversight intact.
Background: the scale of modern digital advertising
Consumer brands that operate in dozens of markets now require continuous content for social media, e‑commerce sites, and regional campaigns. The demand for new assets is driven by the need for frequent updates, language variations, and platform‑specific formats. Traditional production models—planning, filming, editing, and approvals—often struggle to keep pace with this volume. Re‑using footage and applying AI‑generated enhancements can extend existing material into new formats without starting from scratch.
How L’Oréal is using AI in the creative process
The company’s AI tools are employed to generate or adapt visual content that fits particular digital channels. Tasks include polishing footage, adjusting aspect ratios, and producing multiple versions for different platforms. Human creative teams continue to set the overall direction and approve final outputs, ensuring that brand guidelines are maintained. The AI layer is positioned as a support mechanism rather than a replacement for human decision‑making.
Maintaining brand control in an AI‑enabled workflow
Large brands face significant risk when visual identity, tone, and messaging are altered inadvertently. L’Oréal’s approach keeps AI output within existing approval processes. Generated content is reviewed, modified, and approved by internal teams and external agencies before publication. This strategy allows the company to reap efficiency gains while preserving accountability for brand consistency.
Cost, speed, and repeatability benefits
Digital advertising budgets are under pressure from fluctuating media prices, platform policy changes, and audience expectations for constant updates. By re‑using footage and applying AI‑based enhancements, L’Oréal can stretch the value of each production shoot. The result is not a dramatic cost cut in a single area but incremental savings across many small decisions. Over time, these savings influence how marketing teams plan campaigns and allocate resources.
Implications for marketing teams and enterprise AI adoption
Marketing leaders are observing that production models built for slower cycles are increasingly unsustainable. The need to deliver more content, more often, with tighter budgets and faster turnaround is prompting the adoption of AI tools. However, success depends on clear governance: rules for where AI can be used, how outputs are reviewed, and who remains accountable for final decisions. Without such structure, efficiency gains could be offset by brand risk.
What L’Oréal’s approach signals for broader enterprise AI use
The company’s restrained use of AI—applying it only where it reduces friction and not where it reshapes creative roles—illustrates a pattern emerging in enterprise AI adoption. AI is being integrated into existing workflows rather than replacing them. Success is measured in time saved and consistency maintained, not in novelty. For now, AI‑generated creative work remains a supporting element in enterprise marketing, quietly altering the economics of content production one asset at a time.
Future outlook
L’Oréal has not announced a specific timeline for expanding AI use beyond video and visual content. The company’s current strategy suggests a cautious, incremental rollout that prioritizes brand integrity and operational efficiency. As AI tools mature and governance frameworks evolve, other global brands may follow a similar path, embedding AI into routine production while preserving human oversight over creative direction.
