Unilever tops Indonesia's ad market as service sectors surge, Nielsen finds

Indonesia’s advertising market continues to be driven by FMCG heavyweights even as new growth emerges from service-oriented sectors, according to the latest Nielsen Ad Intel report.

Unilever has retained its long-standing position as the country’s biggest advertiser in the first half of 2025, with Wings and Mayora following closely behind. Tech-driven players such as GoTo (Gojek Tokopedia) and Garena (Sea Limited) also remain among the top ten, underscoring the growing influence of digital platforms in shaping Indonesia’s consumer economy.

Other major advertisers include Nestlé, Indofood, Ajinomoto Indonesia, Aqua, and Tempo Scan Pacific - all of which reinforce FMCG’s status as the backbone of Indonesia’s advertising spend.

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Beverages took the lead as Indonesia’s biggest advertising category in the first half of 2025, with laptops and smartphones, and food close behind. Together, these sectors continue to command the lion’s share of spend across TV, digital, and outdoor, driven by unrelenting brand rivalry and constant campaign visibility.

Toiletries and cosmetics, along with medicines and pharmaceuticals, rounded out the top five, reflecting brands’ sustained push to capture Indonesia’s growing appetite for health and self-care.

FMCG giants may still anchor Indonesia’s ad market, but the sharpest growth is now coming from service-led categories. Personal services saw ad spend more than double in the first half of 2025, up 108%, while property services surged 101%, signalling stronger consumer sentiment and more aggressive competition among lifestyle and real estate brands.

The post-pandemic travel sector also made strides, with transport, travel and recreation climbing 39.7%. Apparel and personal accessories (+21.3%) and smoking and accessories (+17.1%) likewise recorded steady gains.

“Advertisers are increasingly recognising the value of real-time competitive visibility,” said Adrienne Wong, managing director Asia, Nielsen. “In a market as diverse and fast-moving as Indonesia, the difference between leading and lagging often comes down to intelligence. Knowing how much your competitors are spending, and where they’re spending, leads to smarter media strategies, sharper negotiations, and stronger ROI. Nielsen Ad Intel provides that edge by giving marketers a complete view of the ad market across platforms.”

Tejendar Singh, Nielsen Indonesia director, added: “Indonesia remains one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic advertising economies, fuelled by a young, digital-savvy population and strong brand competition across both traditional and online media. Nielsen’s latest findings highlight a market balancing established FMCG dominance and emerging investment from service-led industries.”

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