Examining Instagram commercial posts: utilizing content analysis method

India being the largest user base for Instagram is witnessing a tremendous growth in commercial content on the social media platform. Given the magnitude of promotional clutter on the platform, the study seeks to examine Instagram promotions by Indian influencers—spanning celebrities in cinema, sports, music, and other digital creators—through the lens of celebrity endorsement and consumer involvement literature. The study analysed 363 commercial posts by top Indian Instagram influencers, examining key advertising variables like product hierarchy, appeal, influencer type, portrayal, and product-influencer match. Apart from this, each post's commercial theme was also identified for thematic analysis. Association between the variables was tested and the results were critically examined in the light of the Three-orders hierarchy model. Learning Hierarchy products were the most promoted on Instagram, followed by Low Involvement and Attribution Hierarchy products. The association of product hierarchy with the match-up, the appeal of the post and the theme were found to be significant. The findings suggest that marketers do consider the level of consumer involvement expected and the perceived product differentiation when deciding about the type of match-up, appeal and theme to be utilized for a commercial Instagram post. Apart from providing a snapshot of commercial promotion on Instagram, the study is a pioneering effort to examine commercial posts from the perspective of key variables in advertising effectiveness. Thus, the study also highlights the extent to which marketers have adopted the recommendations from advertising literature.