CTV and remote-enabled ads drive higher engagement for auto brands during festive season

New Delhi: India’s automotive sector reported a strong festive season, with 52.3 lakh vehicles sold, including a 23% rise in passenger vehicles and a 57.5% increase in EVs. In parallel, digital advertising for automotive brands saw notable growth, according to the latest ‘Automotive Ad Engagement Benchmark Study’ by VDO.AI.

The study, which analysed over 200 automotive campaigns across connected TV (CTV) and display formats, found that CTV continued to dominate as the preferred medium for high-intent automotive buyers, delivering a Video Completion Rate (VCR) of 93%, above the industry benchmark of 85%. 

Automotive campaigns on display achieved a 0.75% Click-Through Rate (CTR), nearly double the industry benchmark, underscoring the role of display advertising in driving engagement and brand recall during India’s peak festive auto season.

VDO.AI’s analysis highlighted a trend in automotive advertising: remote-enabled CTV and in-scroll display emerged as the leading formats during the 2025 festive season. 

Remote-enabled CTV was used by 60% of brands to present immersive, full-screen stories, while in-scroll display accounted for 40% of campaigns, supporting discovery and recall through dynamic, contextually triggered creatives on comparison and news platforms.

Regional insights showed distinct patterns of engagement. Northern markets such as Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Chandigarh recorded 78% higher ad engagement than southern and western cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune. 

While the North responded strongly to CTV-led brand storytelling, the South and West saw sharper CTR spikes during festive offer peaks, highlighting the importance of region-specific creative strategies for automotive advertisers.

Arjit Sachdeva, Co-founder of VDO.AI, said, “Today’s car buyers are less influenced by flash; they seek information, trust, and relevance. Our study shows that immersive remote-enabled CTV and interactive in-scroll display formats deliver the highest engagement and video completion rates during the festive season. Auto brands need ad formats that align with these buyer expectations, and at VDO.AI, we help them do just that, blending storytelling with interactivity so campaigns not only capture attention but also inform, influence, and convert.”