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ATLmarketing

Above the line: mass media that reaches lakhs of people at once.

Since 201565+ in-house team6 cities

Updated 4 Oct 2026

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  • Sai Angan
  • Rupa Peekaboo
  • Tea Junction
  • Zandu Vigorex
  • Fox & Mandal
  • Veedol
  • Tata Efee
  • Avadh Sugar & Energy
  • Taj Cement
  • Weichai
  • Rerasathi
  • Honest AI
  • Walton
  • Supertron
  • Balrampur Foundation
  • Fine Organics
  • Kopran
  • Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited
  • FIVB
  • Hanumanta Foods
  • Linc
  • Nitya Gold & Diamonds
  • Novozymes
  • PSPL
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Definition

ATL (above the line) marketing is advertising in mass media that reaches a large audience at once: TV, newspapers, radio, cinema and big outdoor hoardings. Its job is to make a brand known and trusted. It is also called mainline advertising.

You can't choose exactly who sees an ATL ad. Everyone watching the channel, reading the paper or driving past the hoarding sees it. So ATL is bought by area, language and type of audience, not by individual person.

The name comes from old agency billing. Media that paid the agency a commission was written above a line on the bill. Other work, charged as a fee, went below it. That is where BTL (below the line) comes from.

Examples of ATL marketing in India

  • A TV commercial on a national or regional channel during a cricket match.
  • A front-page newspaper ad announcing a new car or a real estate project.
  • Radio spots on FM stations in a city during the festive season.
  • Large hoardings on highways and city junctions.
  • Ads shown in cinema halls before the film.

What does ATL cost? A worked ₹ example

ATL media is sold by space or time. Take radio. On the government's CBC rate card, Radio Mirchi Kolkata lists ₹429 per 10 seconds from 7 to 11 am (viewed 4 October 2026). A 20-second ad is ₹858 per play. Ten plays a day for 4 weeks is 280 plays, so about ₹2.4 lakh of airtime before GST and production.

That buys reach across a whole city. It doesn't tell you who called because of it. That's the trade-off with ATL.

How is ATL measured?

Planners use reach (how many different people saw the ad) and frequency (how many times each person saw it). Multiply reach as a percentage by frequency to get GRPs (gross rating points). If 40% of your audience sees your ad 3 times, that's 120 GRPs.

For business results, watch calls to a unique phone number and searches for your brand name on Google. Also compare sales in the areas where the ad ran with areas where it didn't.

Related terms

  • BTL (below the line): face-to-face marketing in smaller groups, such as events, mall stalls and dealer meets.
  • TTL (through the line): ATL, BTL and online marketing used together in one campaign.
  • Media planning: deciding where, when and how much to advertise.

For a full comparison of ATL, BTL and TTL, with costs and examples, read our guide ATL, BTL and TTL marketing. If you're planning mass media, see our advertising services.

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Straight answers.

  • ATL means mass-media advertising that reaches a large audience at once. A TV ad during a cricket match or a front-page newspaper ad are typical ATL examples. Others are radio spots on FM stations in the festive season, large hoardings on highways and city junctions, and ads shown in cinema halls before the film.

  • Both, depending on use. Broad YouTube or connected-TV campaigns bought for reach work like ATL. Search ads and retargeting aimed at interested buyers work like BTL. The test is whether you can choose who sees the ad. ATL is bought by area, language and type of audience, not by individual person.

  • ATL stands for above the line. It is also called mainline advertising.

  • Planners use reach, which is how many different people saw the ad, and frequency, which is how many times each person saw it. Multiply reach as a percentage by frequency to get GRPs (gross rating points). If 40% of your audience sees your ad 3 times, that is 120 GRPs.