While celebrities had a strong influence on television advertising endorsing over 25% of all ads aired in 2024, the overall celebrity-endorsed ads witnessed a decline of 8% in 2023 and 6% in 2024 compared to 2022.
Although, according to the TAM AdEx report, the ad volumes for celebrity-endorsed commercials saw a 3% growth in 2024 compared to 2023, highlighting the sustained influence of star power in advertising.
The IPL season significantly boosted advertising activity, making the April–June 2024 quarter the peak period for daily ad volumes (measured in hours), the report said. Additionally, the highest ad volume share was observed during May 2024 and the lowest share was seen during December.
During April-Jun 2024, the highest celebrity endorsement ads were seen compared to the other three quarters.
The average share of ad volumes during the first half of 2024 was 9% while in the second half, it decreased and registered a 7.7% share.
Celebrity profession-wise, film stars together added 77% share of advertising in 2024 followed by sports person and TV stars who added 14% and 9% share respectively.
Lack of female celeb representation in ads
The average ad endorsing ratio of male and female celebrities for the top 10 sectors was 60:40, the report highlighted. The top ten sectors include food and beverage (f&b), personal care, services, hair care, BFSI, and auto.
In the F&B sector, male-celeb-endorsed ads in 2024 on TV stood at 59% and female-celeb at 41%. In personal care/hygiene, it was 33% and 67%, respectively.
“In 2024, the f&b sector saw a strong male celebrity presence in advertisements, while personal care/personal hygiene was predominantly endorsed by female celebrities, reflecting gendered marketing trends in these industries,” the report said.
Additionally, advertisements in the agriculture, telecom/internet service providers, and media sectors exclusively featured male celebrity endorsers, highlighting a lack of female representation in these categories.
That apart, ‘e-com-gaming’ emerged as the most sought-after category, attracting celebrity endorsements from a diverse range of professions, followed closely by ‘spices’, reflecting the broad appeal and marketing potential of these sectors.
MS Dhoni most sought-after celebrity; Akshay Kumar most visible
Akshay Kumar dominated TV advertising in 2024, with 20 hrs (5%) of daily visibility across all channels, making him the most visible celebrity. Shah Rukh Khan followed closely behind with 16 hrs per day (4%), reinforcing his enduring influence in brand endorsements.
SRK was followed by Amitabh Bachchan (3%), MS Dhoni (3%), Sara Ali Khan (3%), Kiara Advani (3%), Alia Bhatt (2%), Ranveer Singh (2%), Ranbir Singh (2%) and Anushka Sharma (25), and others (69%).
The top 10 most visible celebrities comprised 6 male and 4 female stars, showcasing a strong male presence in brand promotions.
According to the report, M.S. Dhoni, Kiara Advani, and Ranbir Kapoor were new entrants in the 2024 top 10 list, compared to 2023.
Notably, M.S. Dhoni emerged as the most sought-after celebrity, endorsing the highest number of brands (52) in 2024.
He was followed by Amitabh Bachchan (51 brands), Kareena Kapoor (47 brands), SRK (36 brands), Kiara Advani (35 brands), Akshay Kumar (34 brands), Sourav Ganguly (32 brands), Madhuri Dixit (30 brands), Ranveer Singh (27 brands) and Alia Bhatt (27 brands).
Four celebrities—M.S. Dhoni, Kareena Kapoor, Kiara Advani, and Madhuri Dixit—expanded their brand associations in 2024, securing more endorsements than in 2023.
In terms of celebrity couples endorsing the ads on TV in 2024, Akshay Kumar and Twinkal Khanna had a 17% share with 35 brands, followed by Ranbir Kapoor/Alia Bhatt at 14% with 46 brands, Anushka Sharma/Virat Kohli at 13% with 28 brands, Amitabh Bachchan/Jaya Bachchan at 11% with 51 brands, Deepika Padukone/Ranveer Singh at 9% with 33 brands, Sidharth Malhotra/Kiara Advani at 9% with 39 brands. Kareena Kapoor/Saif Ali Khan at 7% with 59 brands, Ajay Devgan/Kajol at 7% with 32 brands, Vicky Kaushal/Katrina Kaif at 5% with 17 brands and Ali Fazal/Richa Chadda at 3% with 2 brands.
As per the report, couple celebrity endorsing ads include ads done by the couple together as well as individually.