How to apply the ICC Advertisingand Marketing Communications Code Guide Copyright © 2026 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ICC holds all copyright and other intellectual property rights in this collective work, and encouragesits reproduction and dissemination subject to the following: •ICC must be cited as the source and copyright holder mentioning the title of the document,© International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the publication year.•Express written permission must be obtained for any modification, adaptation or translation,for any commercial use, and for use in any manner that implies that another organisation orperson is the source of, or is associated with, the work.•The work may not be reproduced or made available on websites except through a link to therelevant ICC web page (not to the document itself). Permission can be requested from ICCthroughipmanagement@iccwbo.org. Table of contents 1.Introduction and background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4a.The ICC Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4b.The ICC Code and AI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4c.AI and advertising self-regulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42.Purpose, audience and application of this guidance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53.The ICC Code’s position on the use of AI in advertising and marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64.Checklists for AI in advertising and marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10a.Checklist for organisations deciding on the use of AI tools for advertising and marketing. . . .10b.Checklist for marketers to responsibly use AI in advertising and marketing communications. . . .12Annex: Direct references to AI in the ICC Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 1.Introduction and background a.The ICC Code As the world’s largest business organisation, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)promotes high standards of business ethics through the development and dissemination of codesand guidance on responsible marketing and advertising communications. One of ICC’s landmark achievements is theICC Advertising and Marketing Communications Code(the ICC Code). First adopted in 1937 and updated several times since then (most recently in 2024), theICC Code provides practical guidance to advertising industry stakeholders, including advertisers andadvertising agencies as well as to self-regulatory advertising organisations and national governments. By promoting self-regulation in the business sector in accordance with globally recognised highethical and legal standards, consumers can be confident that businesses abiding by the ICC Codeand related ICC guidance can be relied upon to provide advertising that is legal, decent, honestand truthful, thus fostering a robust marketplace that both enhances creativity and preservesconsumer trust. The ICC Code sets forth general principles governing marketing communications of all types and inall media and including more specific sections related to matters such as marketing to children andteens and data-driven marketing. b.The ICC Code and AI In March 2024, ICC issued astatementaddressing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in advertisingand marketing communications. This statement emphasises the media neutrality of the ICC Codeand reminds marketers of their responsibility for ensuring that their communications are legal,decent, honest and truthful regardless of the technology used, including AI. The11thedition of the ICC Code, released later in 2024, includes updates that explicitly incorporate AIinto the provisions of the ICC Code to help guide the use of AI in advertising and marketing. Theseupdates do not mark significant departures from the longstanding principles of the ICC Code, whichreflect the inherent media neutrality and universality of the ICC Code and its utility in emerging areas. ICC produced this guide in light of the updated edition of the ICC Code and the importance andproliferation of AI technology. It provides guidance to marketers who grapple with questions of howto apply the ICC Code rules where AI is rapidly integrating into the ad creation and delivery process.The guide includes a summary of the most relevant ICC Code rules and two checklists to helpmarketers ask the right questions. c.AI and advertising self-regulation Marketers have long used digital tools and technology to enhance, create or deliver advertisingcampaigns. Such use doe