The 89th Academy Awards had no shortage of drama – from politically-charged speeches to the big mix up for Best Picture with Moonlight and La La Land. As with any major event, brand marketers worked to get in on the action.
In today’s roundup of online and partner marketing news and opinion, we look at some analysis and coverage of the marketing and advertising buzz around the 2017 Oscars.
Cadillac’s Politically Tinged Oscars Advertisement: Daring Greatly, Or ‘Me Too’?
In its new advertising during the Oscars telecast on Sunday, Cadillac veered from the pioneering path it has carved during this event over the last couple of years onto a road that’s become increasingly traversed: political commentary, writes Dale Buss on Forbes. “Carry” is only one of four TV commercials Cadillac aired during its third consecutive year of a marketing partnership with Hollywood’s biggest night. The other ads spoke to the brand’s future design direction, innovation past and future, and its performance heritage. Read the full story here.
Ads at the Oscars: Which brands spend the most?
The Oscars’ are now most expensive TV buy after Super Bowl with number of commercials soaring, generating $115m in ad revenue, according to new research from Kantar Media. The largest advertising positions in the Academy Awards are held by well-known marketers. In a typical year, the top five spenders account for 55-60 percent of total ad revenue. And because of long-term sponsorship deals, the makeup of the group changes slowly over time. Read more here about what brands spend the most on advertising during the Oscars as reported by Netimperative.
Samsung tries to out-cool Apple at Oscars
During the Oscars, Samsung debuts an ad featuring vlogger Casey Neistat — a man who once embarrassed Apple — and the theme “do what you can’t.”Samsung has succeeded in recent times with its ads often becoming more virally popular than Apple’s. After the Note 7 debacle, it seems clear that it’s still trying to make inroads by presenting itself as younger and cooler than Cupertino — which has become more of a global establishment brand than ever, writes Chris Matyszczyk on cnet. Read the full story and watch (or re-watch) the ad here.
Did Walmart’s High-Concept Short Films on the Oscars Work?
As covered by AdWeek, bananas, paper towels, batteries, a scooter, wrapping paper and a video baby monitor. Those were the six products at the center of Walmart’s “The Receipt,” a high-concept advertising project in which the big-box retailer got four well-known Hollywood directors to make three 60-second spots for the Oscars—that had to feature all six items, as listed on a Walmart receipt. So, how the did the films turn out? Check them out and read more here.
‘The Truth Is Hard,’ Says The New York Times’ First-Ever Oscars Ad
The New York Times debuted its first-ever ad to run during the Academy Awards. As reported by AdAg, the simple, black-and-white typographic spot lays out, line by line, a litany of conflicting statements, anchored by the three words, “the truth is” — “The truth is alternative facts are lies. The truth is the media is dishonest. …The truth is a woman should dress like a woman. The truth is women’s rights are human rights” and so on. The spot is part of the publication’s first-ever brand campaign in a decade, created out of Droga5 New York. Read more about it here.
What were your favorite Oscars moments (marketing or otherwise)?
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