The aqueous adhesive composition according to the invention comprises an unsaturated elastomer latex and a phenol-aldehyde resin with a base of: - an aldehyde of formula (I); wherein X comprises N, S or O and R represents -CHO, - a polyphenol comprising one or more aromatic core(s): o in the case of a single aromatic core, the latter carries two or three hydroxyl functions in the meta position relative to one another, the rest of the aromatic core being unsubstituted; o in the case of several aromatic cores, at least two of them each carry two or three hydroxyl functions in the meta position relative to one another, the two ortho positions of at least one of said hydroxyl functions being unsubstituted.