The Oscars: US agency execs discuss new opportunities for advertisers during the awards show
As more and more people choose on-demand and streaming options to watch television, high-profile live events such as the Oscars are now rare exceptions to this new viewing landscape.
Marketers are taking notice, increasing their focus on activations and sponsorships to supplement traditional ads during live broadcasts.
Even though the Super Bowl has more than double the viewers, brands are willing to pay a higher premium to target the audience of the Academy Awards, according to a report from Forbes. In 2014, the Oscars had an audience of 43 million viewers, with a similar number expected this year.
The Drum reached out to agencies such as 72andSunny, Eleven, and Carat to provide insights on how marketers are approaching the Oscars this year as well as the overall sponsorship and media environment surrounding live events.
Matt Jarvis, chief strategy officer, 72andSunny
Marketers are hungry for a cultural event that is not the Super Bowl, and the Oscars are the next big stage. There are fewer and fewer moments in television that people watch in real time, and marketers have learned to put more firepower into those moments, teasing their ads like they would in the big game. The Oscars help your brand matter in culture because it is culture, with a capital C. You have a huge audience. But that audience is aging, and the Oscar’s lasting power as a media property may depend on reversing that trend.
Maura Tuohy, head of social, Eleven
A world of digital and social opportunities are increasing the number of brands who can participate in the Oscars and surrounding buzz. Last year's Golden Tweet (formerly known as Ellen's selfie) showed us the powerful combination of social media plus TV when it hit 3.1 million retweets, making up nearly 30% of the event’s 12 million tweets globally. Advertisers want access to this social capital, and brands with limited budget can still be a part of the real-time event using paid social, as long as their brand has a purpose and strategic fit. According to Crimson Hexigon, one of our social listening partners, fashion, beauty and lifestyle are the largest affinity topics of Oscar viewers. These brands have credibility in Oscars conversations, and will no doubt be building content strategies to leverage these brand moments even if they don't have big TV buys to accompany.
Gina Grillo, president & CEO, The Advertising Club of New York
The Oscars is an increasingly appealing outlet for advertisers looking to reach the highly coveted, socially driven Millennial generation. But I see the Oscars as more than that; I see it as a huge opportunity for brands to make a strong statement about diversity at a time in Hollywood history when actresses are railing against red carpet sexism and double standards (think Cate Blanchett calling out a camera man for an objectifying sweeping pan of her body and Elizabeth Moss flipping off the mani cam) and we’re seeing a bigger push for diversity in the work and talent that the Academy recognizes. Marketers can use this moment to show that they embrace diversity of gender, culture, race and thought. As our population grows increasingly diverse, more advertisers need to communicate messages that reflect the beliefs and ideals of the people they’re speaking to. The Oscars is one of the rare live moments to do that.
Adam Comstock, VP, director - communications planning at Carat USA
From a viewership standpoint, award shows and live sports are the last real non-DVR-ed live events people are gravitating towards and will watch for the full duration. The live environment drives a ton of social engagement and second screen magic, so marketers have an incredible opportunity to grab consumers’ undivided attention during these few hours. The Oscars sit at the pinnacle of film award shows, so it absolutely makes sense for a brand like Cadillac to align their media and targeted sponsorship strategy with this premium luxury environment. In our convergent market, I see no signs of this growth slowing.