Panadol Uses AI to Make Its Ads More Inclusive—And It’s Paying Off

More than half of consumers don’t feel culturally represented in advertising, and Panadol, the Haleon-owned pain relief brand, is taking that insight seriously. Partnering with AI platform CreativeX, Panadol is leveraging the Health Inclusivity Screener, a tool that analyzes digital ad creative for diversity, accessibility, and representation. The AI scans visuals for factors like gender, age groups, skin tones, and even text overlays, ensuring ads avoid stereotypical portrayals and are easy to understand. Launched in November, the tool is part of Haleon’s broader push to make inclusivity an expectation, not just an afterthought.

The effort isn't just about ethics—it’s also smart business. A Facebook study found that 59% of consumers prefer buying from brands that prioritize diversity. Additionally, Panadol’s research shows that ad copy written at a fourth-grade reading level improves brand recall by 1.6 times, while video ads with text overlays see a 1.2 times higher completion rate. These findings suggest that making ads more inclusive and accessible isn’t just the right thing to do—it also improves engagement and, ultimately, sales.

One specific target for improvement? Representation of adults over 60. A recent CreativeX study found that only 4% of global ads feature this demographic, despite their significant purchasing power. By addressing this gap, Panadol sees a major opportunity to strengthen brand affinity and drive ROI. While some companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives in response to political pressures, Panadol is doubling down, proving that inclusivity isn’t just a trend—it’s a business strategy with tangible returns.

Read more about the launch of the tool here, and more on this update at AdExchanger.