BSkyB is in fourth place in the list of 2008’s biggest advertisers, having spent £96m on UK advertising. However, this was a fall of 21pc on what it spent in the same period the previous year. Elsewhere, major retailers such as Marks & Spencer and car manufacturers such as Ford and Vauxhall have slashed their marketing budgets in the six months to October as the financial crisis has taken its toll, while supermarkets have boosted ad spend in a battle to prove that they offer the most competitive prices. Tesco boosted spend by 24pc to £77.6m, making it the fifth biggest spender on advertising, while Asda’s spend increased by 56pc to £56.93m, making it the 12th largest spender, up from 31st place the previous year.