Mumbai, September 4, 2025 – The Indian advertising landscape continues to be shaped by celebrity star power, though with notable shifts, according to the TAM AdEx Half-Yearly Celebrity Endorsement Report for January–June 2025. The report reveals that while celebrities remain pivotal for brand recall, only 29% of TV ads featured them in H1 2025, marking a 12% decline in celebrity-endorsed ad volumes compared to H1 2023.
Film Stars and Sports Icons Dominate
Film stars commanded a 74% share of celebrity-led TV ad volumes, followed by sports personalities at 19% and television stars at 7%. Shah Rukh Khan led the pack with an impressive average visibility of 27 hours per day across TV channels, closely followed by cricket legend M.S. Dhoni at 22 hours. Other prominent names included Akshay Kumar (12 hours), Ranveer Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Ananya Panday, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli.
Sectoral and Gender Trends
The report highlights that Food & Beverages (23%), Personal Care/Personal Hygiene (17%), and Household Products (8%) accounted for nearly half of all celebrity-led ads. A clear gender divide emerged: male celebrities dominated Food & Beverages ads with a 63% share, while female celebrities led Personal Care endorsements at 58%. Across the top 10 sectors, male celebrities held a 67:33 advantage over their female counterparts.
Key product categories included Toilet/Floor Cleaners (8%), Aerated Soft Drinks (6%), and Toilet Soaps (6%), which together made up 40% of celebrity-endorsed ad volumes. Notably, the Ecom-Gaming category stood out, attracting endorsements from 38 celebrities, reflecting its growing prominence in the Indian market.
Brand and Couple Endorsements
M.S. Dhoni topped the brand endorsement chart, representing 43 brands, up from 42 in 2024. Shah Rukh Khan followed with 35 brands, while Amitabh Bachchan endorsed 28, down from 41 last year. Celebrity couples also played a significant role, with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh leading at 23 brands, followed by Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli (19), and Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna (20). Together, these power couples drove over 40% of couple-led endorsement volumes.
Evolving Advertising Strategies
The decline in celebrity-led ads suggests brands are increasingly balancing star power with non-celebrity campaigns to capture consumer attention in a competitive market. The rise of Ecom-Gaming, alongside traditional categories like spices (27 celebrities) and building materials (29), points to evolving sectoral priorities.
As marketers navigate changing consumer expectations, the TAM AdEx report underscores that celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and M.S. Dhoni remain vital for driving visibility and recall, even as brands adapt to a dynamic advertising landscape.
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