Human Made Mark launches 'FairTrade' certification to verify non-AI advertising
The Human Made Mark has launched a third-party certification program that allows production companies and brands to verify media content as human-produced rather than generated by AI. The service provides a trackable watermark for brands that pay a percentage of their production budget after an auditing process to rebuild consumer trust.
Key Takeaways
- Brands pay a fee equivalent to 0.25% of the total production budget to undergo a rigorous third-party audit.
- Certification requires the submission of primary evidence, including call sheets, behind-the-scenes photography, and credit lists.
- Certified commercials must display a unique, trackable watermark for at least 10% of their total runtime.
- A legal declaration is required to confirm that no human artists were replaced by generative AI in front of or behind the camera.
- The standard review process for certification takes seven working days, with an express three-day option available.
Why It Matters
The launch addresses a critical 'trust gap' where 58% of consumers express reluctance to purchase from brands using undisclosed AI in messaging. For the streaming and advertising ecosystem, this establishes a 'pro-human' premium tier in a market currently flooded with low-cost algorithmic content. As brands prioritize authenticity to reach Gen Z, third-party verification provides a shield against 'AI-washing' accusations. This move signals a shift from voluntary disclosure toward formal certification as creative teams seek to justify high-budget human production. Watch for the adoption rate among major holding companies to see if this watermark becomes a standard requirement for human-led TVC and VOD campaigns.
Additional Context
The rollout of the Human Made Mark coincides with a tightening global regulatory landscape for synthetic media. In the United States, New York recently enacted the 'Synthetic Performer' law, effective June 2026, which according to Davis+Gilbert (December 2025) requires conspicuous disclosure whenever AI-generated likenesses appear in advertisements. Nationally, the Federal Trade Commission has increased its scrutiny of 'AI-washing' and deceptive marketing, announcing final rules in August 2024 that specifically prohibit undisclosed AI-generated consumer and celebrity testimonials to prevent consumer deception.
Industry organizations are also codifying protections for human talent to navigate the integration of AI tools. SAG-AFTRA ratified a new Commercials Contract in mid-2025 (per SAG-AFTRA, June 2025) that introduced the strongest contractual guardrails to date, requiring informed consent and additional compensation for the use of digital replicas of performers. This framework distinguishes between digital replicas of specific people and 'synthetic performers' entirely fabricated by software, ensuring distinct payment and transparency obligations for each tier of technology used.
Simultaneously, major distribution platforms have moved from voluntary to mandatory automated labeling. Per TikTok (May 2024), the platform became the first video-sharing app to automatically label AI-generated content by adopting C2PA metadata standards. YouTube similarly updated its policies in 2024 to require creators to disclose realistic synthetic content or face potential removal from the platform's revenue-sharing program. This combination of platform-level tagging and union-backed labor protections creates an environment where third-party certification bodies, like the Human Made Mark, serve as a bridge for brands to prove human craftsmanship in an increasingly automated production pipeline.
Read full article at lbbonline.com
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