Political Advertising on Google Shown in India, by AD Category from 2019 to 2024

Video ads accounted for the largest share of political ad spending, fluctuating between 59.6% (2020) and 83.7% (2023). The preference for video ads suggests that political campaigns increasingly rely on dynamic, audio-visual content to capture voter’s attention and influence public perception. The share of video ad spending peaked in 2021 (83.1%) and 2023 (83.7%), which aligns with state elections and pre-Lok Sabha election preparations, indicating a strategic push for high-engagement political content. Image ads have remained a secondary but significant component of political advertising, ranging between 16.0% (2023) and 40.4% (2020) of total spending. The highest share of image ads was in 2020 (40.4%), a year with relatively lower overall ad spending, suggesting that during non-election periods, campaigns might prioritize static visuals for brand recall rather than expensive video production. Text-based ads have consistently occupied an insignificant share, ranging from 0.0531% (2020) to 0.320% (2023). The increasing complexity of political messaging and the need for visual appeal likely contribute to the minimal reliance on text ads, which lack the engagement levels of video and image-based formats.

Overall, the data indicates a strategic shift toward video-based political campaigns, emphasizing storytelling, emotional appeal, and mass engagement. The high preference for video ads aligns with India’s growing internet penetration and increased video consumption on platforms like YouTube. While image ads continue to support branding efforts, text ads have nearly become obsolete in political advertising. The dominance of video advertising suggests that political parties will continue to invest heavily in high-quality video production for digital campaigns. With evolving AI tools and targeted advertising capabilities, future campaigns may further optimize video ads for hyper-personalized political messaging, reinforcing their role as the primary medium for voter influence in India.