Mumbai: The total advertising expenditure (AdEx) in 2021 grew at an unprecedented 37 per cent to Rs 74,231 crore, despite the treacherous second Covid-19 wave, which crippled the economy and AdEx for almost three months of May, June and July for the second year running. This is according to the latest flash figures of AdEx estimates released by Pitch Madison Advertising Report.

In a departure from the convention, the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2022 released flash figures of AdEx estimates only for 2021. Contrary to its own forecast of 26 per cent growth in February 2021, which meant AdEx in 2021 would not even reach 2019 levels, AdEx has comfortably surpassed 2019 figures by 10 per cent, the flash report estimates. An exhaustive report giving medium-wise figures, forecast for 2022 and commentary will be released three weeks later, the agency said.

AdEx has not registered a 37 per cent increase in the last two decades for which figures are available. The closest it has registered was a growth rate of 22.9 per cent in 2007. For context, in 2020 AdEx had de-grown 20 per cent over 2019.

“The two Covid years of 2020 and 2021 have altered the structure of AdEx, but Indian AdEx has shown that it is resilient and contrary to expectation surpassed 2019 AdEx level,” says Madison World chairman Sam Balsara. “Whilst Covid Wave I had a disastrous impact on AdEx, India Inc has taken the more deadly Covid Wave II in its stride and despite a setback of four months has not only recovered during the year itself but also comfortably surpassed 2019 levels.”

Detailed medium analysis of AdEx in 2021 with a commentary along with forecast for 2022 will be released on 16 February in Mumbai at the hands of the newly appointed Godrej Consumer Products Ltd CEO Sudhir Sitapati, who will also deliver a talk on the “The New Marketing Playbook,” said the agency in a statement.