Not every brand can afford to let its product “sell itself.” Some industries are so competitive, or their products so similar, that the only way to stand out is through strategic advertising. That’s why even in 2025, we still see giant businesses like Coca-Cola, Apple, and Amazon spending billions on ads. This question of why do companies still rely on ads? It will be revealed today. 

As flashy as product-led marketing sounds, sometimes the old-school advertising, ranging from billboards, television ads, radio, large-frame video ads, displays, and social media advertising, including UGC, Influencer marketing, platform ads, and campaigns, is the engine that keeps growth alive. In this blog post, you get to understand why with well-proven business examples, so that you can better understand this topic. 

1. Coca-Cola: Staying on Top Through Constant Visibility

Coca-Cola doesn’t need to introduce itself. Everyone knows Coke. Yet, the brand still spends hundreds of millions on advertising every year, and you might wonder why. It’s because of visibility, with the desire always to be the first option in the minds of their customers.

In 2024, Coca-Cola’s U.S. media spend increased to approximately $785 million, up from around $610 million in 2023. That’s not small change; it shows the company believes staying present in the minds of consumers requires consistent investment. 

Coca-Cola Instagram Page 

According to reports, Coke has also shifted its strategy dramatically, while less than 30% of its ad spend went to digital in 2019, today, about 60–65% of its global marketing mix is digital.

This means Coca-Cola isn’t just plastering billboards anymore. They’ve built a global marketing ecosystem called Studio X to churn out faster, more targeted content across digital platforms. 

And the storytelling remains the same: Coke isn’t just selling soda; it’s selling happiness, culture, and moments. Campaigns like “Share a Coke” or global sponsorships, such as the FIFA World Cup, and stadium advertising, which has been ongoing since 1950. 

In short, Coke isn’t just selling soda, it’s selling a feeling. And advertisements are one of the key ways it reinforces that feeling daily.

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2. Ads Still Drive Growth for Giants (and Challengers Too)

If Coca-Cola shows how legacy brands lean on ads, modern disruptors show why ads remain non-negotiable for growth.

Take Shein and Temu as examples here. In early 2025, both companies ramped up their ad budgets by 35–40% in the UK and France alone. One might wonder why? It’s because of trade tariffs and competition. When market conditions tighten, ads become the fastest way to maintain high visibility and steady demand.

The same is true in the US: according to a Samba TV 2025 report, 68% of the top 100 US brands increased their TV ad impressions in the first half of the year. Even more fascinating is that “75% of the top 20 brands leaned heavier into TV advertising”, despite predictions that traditional ads would fade. Connected TV viewership is also surging, growing 46% in Q2 2025, having 90% currently using internet-connected TVs at least once per month and expected to grow to 99% by 2028. This just proves ads are just shifting channels, not dying.

The lesson? Whether you’re a century-old soda company or a fast-fashion disruptor, ads are still one of the most powerful levers for awareness and scale.

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3. Pepsi & Fast Food Chains: Ads as Weapons in the Battle for Taste

When products feel almost identical, advertising becomes the real battlefield. And no rivalry explains this better than Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola.

Screenshot blog text of Investopedia also answers the brand wars between Coke vs Pepsi. 

The “Cola Wars” have been fought for decades through commercials, celebrity endorsements, and massive sponsorships. Pepsi has spent billions on high-profile campaigns featuring stars like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and, most recently Doja Cat, all in an attempt to edge Coke in cultural relevance. In 2023, PepsiCo spent about $4.1 billion on advertising and marketing globally, a reminder that visibility is often the deciding factor when taste alone can’t separate products.

The same playbook is obvious in fast food. McDonald’s spends more than $4 billion annually on advertising, according to  Adage, making it one of the biggest advertisers in the world. Burger King, while smaller, invests heavily in bold, viral campaigns to stay top-of-mind. These companies don’t just advertise to build awareness; they’re literally competing for every meal decision in real-time.

In saturated industries, ads aren’t optional, they’re the weapon that determines market share.

4. Amazon: When Ads Become the Growth Engine

Amazon isn’t just the world’s biggest online store, it has quietly become an advertising powerhouse. In fact, Amazon is now the third-largest digital ad platform after Google and Meta.

Here’s how it works: brands pay to appear in Amazon search results through sponsored listings. These placements directly influence what millions of shoppers buy every single day. Unlike a billboard or a TV commercial, these ads sit exactly where people are ready to purchase, making them incredibly effective.

The numbers are staggering: in 2024, Amazon’s ad revenue hit $46.9 billion according to CNBC, and in 2025, it crossed $50 billion, according to CNBC. To put that into perspective, Amazon generates more revenue from ads than YouTube does. Advertising has become so integral that for many businesses selling on Amazon, sponsored ads are no longer optional, they’re the cost of doing business.

The lesson here is that advertising isn’t always about awareness. Sometimes, like on Amazon, it becomes the engine that drives growth and sales at scale. You too can learn how to make money with Amazon by just reading this blogpost and practising everything “ Mastering Amazon KDP: Strategies for Self-Publishing Success”.

5. Netflix & Streaming Platforms: Ads Are Making a Comeback

For years, streaming giants like Netflix promised ad-free viewing. But as competition grew and subscriber growth slowed, Netflix made a surprising shift in 2022, launching an ad-supported subscription tier. By 2024, that tier had attracted 40 million monthly active users as of May 2024 and over 94 million active users as of April 2025, according to Verge reports, making it one of the fastest-growing parts of their business.

Why does this matter? Because it proves that even digital-first, product-led companies eventually circle back to advertising as a growth driver. Ads became Netflix’s way to tap into price-sensitive customers while opening up a multi-billion-dollar revenue stream.

Other platforms like Disney+ and HBO Max have followed the same path, showing that no matter how innovative a product feels, advertising still pays the bills. It’s a reminder of why companies still rely on ads is simple: ads don’t just support growth, they can transform entire business models.

Conclusion: Why Companies Still Rely on Ads

Why do companies still rely on ads in 2025? The answer is clear. Coca-Cola uses ads to stay visible. Apple uses ads to tell emotional stories. Pepsi, McDonald’s, and Burger King compete for market share with constant campaigns. Amazon makes ads a key part of shopping. Even Netflix, which started ad-free, now relies on advertising revenue.

Ads are here to stay. They show up on billboards, in TikTok videos, and in your Amazon search results. Advertising is still one of the most reliable ways to gain visibility, grow, and survive in the market.