Once again, P&G is the world's top advertiser

Despite an ongoing review of advertising and marketing costs, Procter & Gamble remains the world's largest advertiser.

The Cincinnati-based consumer products giant spent $8.3 billion last year on advertising. P&G's advertising has cut its advertising costs by $1.4 billion in the last two years since 2013 when the costs peaked at $9.7 billion. Meanwhile, chief financial officer Jon Moeller said last month P&G was trying to cut another $200 million in marketing costs this fiscal year and added there was "room to improve" begins its next fiscal year on July 1 with $1.5 billion marketing agency costs.

But after two years of cutting, P&G executives have disclosed advertising expenditures are increasing about 1 percent even as the company continues cutting marketing costs. Just this spring alone, P&G has launched campaigns supporting everything from its Tide + Downy products to fight athletic wear odor to sponsoring the Summer Olympics.

But does anyone else in the world come close to the size of P&G's advertising budget?

Not really.

The advertising outlay by the maker of Tide detergent, Pampers diapers and Gillette razors was well ahead of ad-spenders No. 2 and No. 3 Detroit automakers General Motors and Ford, that respectively spent $5.1 billion and $4.3 billion in their latest fiscal years, according to Bloomberg.

P&G spent more than twice what No. 4 and 5 do, soft-drink titan Coca-Cola and digital retailer Amazon, that respectively spent $4 billion and $3.8 billion.

American companies dominate among the 23 corporations that spend more than $1 billion every year on advertising.

Japan's car manufacturer Nissan and retailer and mall operator Aeon are the world's No. 9 and No. 18 advertisers with respective $3.1 billion and $1.8 billion spends.

And elsewhere in the world?

P&G spends more than 10 times than Europe's largest advertiser: Milan, Italy-based Luxottica, which owns Mason-based LensCrafters and spent $672 million in advertising. Australia's largest advertiser is financial operator Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, which spent $215 million.

Great Britain's Michael Kors Holdings (named after the American designer) spent $104 million in advertising. Canada's Blackberry, formerly Research in Motion, spent $79 million.