SRK most visible celebrity on TV; Dhoni tops with 43 brand endorsements: TAM

New Delhi: Indian advertising has long leaned on the magic of celebrities to cut through the clutter, and television has been their biggest stage. But according to the TAM AdEx Half-Yearly Celebrity Endorsement Report for January to June 2025, the tide seems to be shifting.

While celebrity power is still visible across screens, the overall volume of ads featuring stars has slowed down compared to the previous year. The report, which tracks trends in television advertising based on ad duration, shows that film stars continue to dominate endorsements, but the reliance on celebrity presence in commercials is not as strong as before. 

Celebrity vs non-celebrity

In the first half of 2025, only 29% of ads carried a celebrity, while 71% were non-celebrity spots. Within the celebrity universe, film actors accounted for the lion’s share with 74%, followed by sports personalities at 19%. Television actors and actresses together contributed 7%.

The report also notes that while the volume of celebrity-endorsed ads grew between January to June 2023 and the same period in 2024, the first half of 2025 saw a 12% decline compared to 2023 levels. This suggests that brands are now mixing their strategies, leaning on star power but also exploring non-celebrity-led campaigns.

Categories and top sectors

Notably, ‘Ecom-Gaming’ was the most crowded category in terms of endorsements, with 38 celebrities promoting brands in the space. Building Materials (29 celebrities), Spices (27), and E-commerce Media and Entertainment platforms (26) followed. 

In terms of product category, Toilet and Floor Cleaners emerged at the top with 8% of all celebrity ad volumes. Aerated Soft Drinks and Toilet Soaps followed with 6% each, while Washing Powders and Liquids accounted for 5%. Paints, Digestives, Toothpastes, Milk Beverages and E-commerce Gaming were among the other leading categories. \

Combined, the top 10 categories contributed 40% of overall celebrity-backed advertising.

Among sectors, Food and Beverages topped the endorsement chart with 23% of celebrity ad volumes. Personal Care and Personal Hygiene came second at 17%, and Household Products stood third at 8%. Other major contributors were Personal Healthcare, Building and Industrial Materials, Services, Hair Care, Laundry, Banking and Auto.

Zooming in on the gender split, in Food and Beverages, male celebrities dominated with 63% share, while in Personal Care and Personal Hygiene, female celebrities led with 58%. Across the top 10 sectors, male celebrities commanded two-thirds of endorsements, with a 67:33 ratio against female celebrities.

The visibility factor

Shahrukh Khan was the most visible endorser, appearing on television for an average of 27 hours per day across channels. Former cricketer M S Dhoni followed with 22 hours of daily visibility. Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Amitabh Bachchan also figured prominently, each contributing 3 to 4% of ad volumes.

The top 10 visible celebrities included Ananya Panday, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli. Of these, eight were male and two were female.

When it came to brand count, M S Dhoni endorsed the highest number of brands at 43, up from 42 in the same period last year. Shahrukh Khan followed with 35 brands, while Amitabh Bachchan endorsed 28, a decline from 41 in 2024. 

Celebrity couples also played a visible role. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh were the most active pair with endorsements for 23 brands. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli followed with 19 brands, while Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna endorsed 20. More than 40% of ads endorsed by couples came from the top three pairs. 

The TAM AdEx report makes it clear that while celebrity endorsements remain an important part of television advertising, their overall volume has slowed down in 2025. Film stars are still the backbone of endorsements, but the data shows that brands are diversifying.