So what about the Oscars? After reading an article in Entertainment titled “Oscar Ads Get the Red-Carpet Treatment,” I’m very interested to see how the ads for Sunday nights Oscars will execute. While we all know that this year’s Super Bowl ads ran for $2.6 million, we can’t forget about the ads costing $1.7 million apiece for this years Oscars. With the Super Bowl ads being a “flop” this year, many brands are looking to the Oscars with a new target audience to reach consumers.
This years Oscar ads may not be running for the amount of the Super Bowl, but ABC is showing better promise than the Super bowl in regards to popularity and ad space. ABC sold out ad space quicker than this year’s CBS Super Bowl, with brands still waiting on a list for a spot to open, while the Super Bowl was still scrounging for open slots close to game time. Brands such as Pepsi, Coke, American Express, L’Oreal and GM bought multiple 30 second ad slots because of the millions of viewers that will watch the Oscars. The Oscars is set to have been filled with stars and an event that viewers watch live every year. While the number of viewers attracts brand companies, so does limited ad time and the status of the viewers. The Oscars have limited commercial breaks and the commercial time it does have goes very fast. This gives brands a chance to really leave a mark in viewers’ minds because they are not bombarded with ads to choose from. Brands are also attracted to the Oscars because of the social status of the viewers watching. Most make a very comfortable income and have the potential to spend excess money.
The tone of the Academy Awards is a completely different mood compared to the Super Bowl, where ads have the opportunity to work in the tone of emotion rather than humor. The glamorous and prestigious atmosphere the Oscars brings, enables brands to create ads with that same emotional appeal since viewers are already in that mindset.
Overall, the Super Bowl is not the only event that is looked at as a big attraction for brands and ad spots. The Academy Awards offers an entirely new audience and tone, and has promise to be just as effective as the Super Bowl ads in a completely new way. I’m very interested in the outcome of the ads and also curious as to what ads people remember during this eventful night. Some may say that the ads are a huge part of the Super Bowl, but I think the Oscars are one example where brand companies have a great opportunity to reach their targeted consumers.
posted by Dana @ 10:49 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
I agree and disagree with the statements posted about the Oscars. I do believe this is a great opportunity for advertisers to redeem themselves from the very bland and boring commercials presented during the super bowl. Companies should have been ashamed for spending 2.6 million dollars and having their commercials turn out the way that they did. On the other hand I do not believe that the Oscars are not on the same level as the Super Bowl for commercial viewer ship. The Super Bowl receives about two times as many viewers as the Oscars, and as reports show most of the viewers strictly watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. I believe individuals tune into the Oscars mainly for the stars and glamour, and not as much for the commercials. I did not watch the Oscars and was not aware that commercial spots cost up to 1.7 million dollars, but it doesn’t surprise me due to how large a television event the Oscars are. If the commercials continue to be so dull during the Super Bowl, maybe the Oscars will take over the number one spot for commercial viewer ship, but for now I believe the Super Bowl is still the top contender for television advertisers.
Both points made in the post and comments are very good and especially on such a debatable topic. I never knew how much commercial spots ran for during the Oscars and find it interesting that the Oscars have so much viewership and such high prices on 30 second ad spots. Although there are a lot of viewers that watch the superbowl souly for the commercials, I think the Oscars have other strong points that really attract big name advertisers. One reason is that the commercial spots are a lot shorter during the Oscars which doesnt deter as many viewers from commercial breaks. This really opens a lot of eyes for advertisers. The Oscars are also very popular and the type of people that watch them are going to be very interested in the show and with short commercial breaks leading to less channel surfing during breaks. Even though spots are very expensive you are going to reach a lot more of the Oscar viewers because the commercial breaks are so short. After the Super Bowl this year, advertisers are looking towards the Oscars now because of how badly they flopped during the Super Bowl. When hearing that the Oscar commercial spots sold out faster then the Super Bowl I was pretty amazed, and probably because of the lack- of during the Super Bowl.
While it's no surprise that the Oscars attract such a large viewing audience, it still is uncomparable to the mass audience that the superbowl brings. I would take a guess that the majority of the viewing audience for the Oscars are women from the age of 15+. This narrows advertisers reach completely, and thus has a role on who can successfully place their ads here. I could imagine that most of the spots included make-up and hair products. Any advertisements geared toward men during the Oscars are probably a large waste. That is the biggest difference that I see between the Superbowl and the Oscars.
The commercials aired during the Oscars were a refreshing and tasteful alternative to some of the Super Bowl ads this year. The commercials very appropriately matched the sophisticated, classy, and upscale event. Because the Super Bowl tends to attract viewers specifically for the advertisements, there is often a lot of anticipation and build up for the night of commercials. Perhaps this leaves more room for let down and disappointment. However, the Academy Awards is not an event people watch for its commercials, making the tip-top ads surprising and pleasing to the audience.
I find it interesting that the academy has to approve every ad. It is sometimes easy to forget that advertising should be held to certain standards. Quite possibly we’ll begin seeing more big-audience events decide what is and is not appropriate to be shown in conjunction with their broadcast. Maybe the Super Bowl will someday decide to approve ads before they are shown throughout the game. The tone and messages of the commercials would still of course include sophomoric humor, but executed less offensively and in better taste. As for the Oscars, I feel as though some of the best creative work in a long time was showcased here and that messages were clear and effective. Two thumbs up.
I think Dana's point is well taken. There may be something to be said for audience mood when they're looking at a commercial. The very fact that people are actively focused on drama during the Oscar telecast may make it fertile ground for certain types of advertisers -- especially those with high involvement products, or with new products that require some explanation.
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