Consumer Packaged Goods #1 on Top 10 Lists of Advertisers, Products Sold

Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) shelled out more than $1B more on advertising than runner-up spender General Motors (GM), while bread & baked goods, paper products, soda and snacks were among the most purchased and sold CPGs in the US, according to The Nielsen Company, which released its annual “Top 10″ advertising and consumer purchasing rankings for the year.

In terms of spending in traditional media, Procter and Gamble spent $2.3B, while #2 General Motors and #3 AT&T (T) expenditures were $1.4B and 1.3B, respectively. Other automotive, CPG and communications companies rounded out the list.

Top 10 Advertisers - By US Spending on Traditional Media:

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Bread & baked goods, paper products, snacks, condiments and sauces were among the top CPGs purchased by US homes, While bread & baked goods, carbonated beverages and fresh produce were among the top 10 CPGs sold in retail stores.

Top 10 Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Purchased by US Homes:

Top 10 Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Sold in US Retail Stores:

The rankings also reveal that Washington, DC, the SanFrancisco region, and Seattle/Tacoma are among the US areas with the largest percentages of adults who have spent more than $500 online in 2008.

Top 10 Markets for Adults Who Spent More than $500 Online in 2008: