What do brands like Ariel, Braun, Pampers, and Oral-B have in common? They all belong to Procter & Gamble, the largest advertiser in Germany. In August 2026, the consumer goods company’s gross advertising spend amounted to around million euros, making the U.S. firm the undisputed biggest investor. PharmaSGP ranked second with million euros, followed by Henkel.
Distribution of spending across traditional media
According to Nielsen Media Research, the gross advertising revenues of above-the-line media in Germany totaled around billion euros in 2025. Television accounted for by far the largest share, with just under billion euros of the above-the-line advertising volume over that period. Newspapers and online followed with the next largest gross advertising revenues, while cinema accounted for the smallest share.
Retail media trend: customer data in retail
The growing importance of e-commerce and the improved availability of valuable data on purchasing behavior have made retail media an important marketing and advertising trend. In retail media, ads are placed directly on retailers’ websites and platforms. These ads target customers who are already in a shopping environment and are tailored to their purchase history. Global advertising spend for retail media is estimated at about billion U.S. dollars in 2025.