PARIS: Renault, Peugeot and SFR were among the biggest advertisers in France in the first half of this year, as major brand owners focused on multimedia campaigns led by television.

Kantar, the research firm, estimated that the top 100 companies by adspend in the country boosted their combined expenditure by 42.3% in H1 2010, to €5.4bn ($7.1bn; £4.5bn).

Automakers generated 23% of this figure – double the segment's global average – with Renault on €224m, Peugeot on €176m and Citroen on €149m.

"Two hypotheses explain this dynamic in the automotive industry: firstly, the government scrappage scheme has been reduced, prompting manufacturers to fill the gap," Kantar's study said.

"On the other hand, there have been several launches in this period, such as the DS3 at Citroen, and manufacturers are preparing for the Motor Show, to be held in October in Paris."

The telecoms sector delivered 10% of the total, with SFR leading the way on €151m, ahead of rival Orange on €148m and Bouygues on €102m.

Unilever boasted the most substantial outlay in the FMCG category having directed €145m to this area of its operations, followed by Procter & Gamble on €118m.

Consumer goods specialists held a 21% share of the market between January and June, as grocery products and health and beauty offerings received considerable support.

Retailers were also strongly represented, with Carrefour's budget coming in at €119m, in front of E.Leclerc on €107m.

TV claimed 43% of advertising sales among the top 100, declining to 19.2% for press, 15.4% for radio, 12.5% for the web, 9.3% for outdoor and 0.6% for cinema.

Elsewhere, 22% of the featured corporations employed campaigns that utilised all six channels, investing 26% of their expenditure in these efforts.

A further 45% of firms implemented plans covering five mediums, and this approach garnered 45% of the cumulative spending recorded by the group.

Data sourced from Kantar/Le Figaro; additional content by Warc staff