AdEx Snapshot: Swiggy's Ad Spend Soars, Meta's Ad Revenue Jumps, CXO Moves at HUL, Blue Star

• Swiggy's advertising expenses surged by 47.5% to Rs 1,108 crore in Q3 FY26, with Instamart revenue up 83.8% YoY, despite widening losses to Rs 1,065 crore.
• Meta Platforms reported a 24% YoY revenue increase to $59.89 billion in Q4 2025, driven by a 97% advertising revenue share ($58.1 billion) and a 6% rise in ad pricing.
• Hindustan Unilever (HUL) appointed Sunanda Khaitan as CMO for its Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio, effective January 2026, based in Mumbai.
• Blue Star reappointed B Thiagarajan as MD until May 2027 and elevated Mohit Sud to Executive Director, Unitary Cooling Products, for a five-year term starting April 2026.
• Celebrity endorsements on TV are losing steam, with E-commerce and Gaming leading in celebrity brand associations; SRK and MS Dhoni dominate brand recall.

Why It Matters: Major shifts in ad spending, leadership, and celebrity endorsements are reshaping the advertising and brand landscape.