OpenAI brought its advertising pitch to the most influential gathering of marketers on Earth. At Cannes Lions 2026, the company hosted sessions aimed directly at CMOs and agency executives, making the case that ChatGPT is the next frontier for brand spending.
The timing is not subtle. OpenAI filed confidentially for an IPO around early June 2026, with a public debut possibly planned for as early as September 2026.
The ad machine takes shape
OpenAI started testing in-chat ads on February 9, 2026, initially targeting logged-in US users on the free tier and the $8/month Go tier.
The format is straightforward: clearly labeled sponsored content placed at the bottom of ChatGPT responses. Organic answers remain untouched above the fold.
