In 2022, Sweden made international news headlines when an eyebrow-raising ad campaign produced by the Swedish Food Federation won the Entertainment Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions Awards. The 18-minute mockumentary titled “Eat A Swede” featured actor Alexander Skarsgård and proposed eating human meat to combat climate change; an idea praised for its environmental focus and creative approach. Beyond launching some of the most talked-about ad campaigns of the recent past, the Swedish ad sector continues to follow a similar upward trajectory as most other Scandinavian countries. Recent reports on the
revealed that spending bounced back from a pandemic-related dip in 2020. In line with that,
reached a record 46.4 billion Swedish kronor in 2021.
Traditional advertising has outlived its glory days
Traditional advertising no longer remains the gold standard in Sweden as fewer consumers turn to offline channels for news and information. The departure from analog advertising was set in motion over a decade ago, but even so, some formats stand firm in the face of (digital) adversity. For instance, radio and
television advertising spending in Sweden reached some of their highest levels in the years leading up to the pandemic. Data also showed that companies across Scandinavia spent record sums on cinema and out-of-home (OOH) promotions just prior to 2020. Meanwhile, print media has experienced a continuous decline in advertising takings for over 10 years. Even though the dwindling appeal of newspapers and magazines as advertising destinations can be explained by the omnipresence of online news content, it does not necessarily reflect how consumers feel about the trustworthiness of print and other offline media. A recent survey on
advertising perception among Swedish consumers showed that a majority of adults trusted ads in print newspapers and magazines. In contrast, most respondents considered online ads the most unreliable.
Digital innovation drives advertising success
Sweden is one of the most progressive digital trailblazers in Europe, and this passion for digital innovation also transcends into the world of advertising. Based on the latest data,
online advertising spending in Sweden reached an all-time high of 5.86 billion Swedish kronor in 2021. This sum made up a lion's share of the industry’s total expenditures, and as consumer demand for online content keeps growing every year, spending on online ad campaigns will likely grow in tandem. Another trend that will keep the industry on its toes in the future is mobile advertising. Most Swedish online users browse the web via smartphones these days, and in order to reach these consumers and grab their attention, companies are making mobile ad campaigns their focal points. According to the most recent forecasts, mobile will draw more than half of all digital ad investments by the year 2025.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
