Hollywood’s Biggest Night Draws the Talent and the All-Star Advertisers

There is no question that on Oscar night, all eyes turn to Hollywood. As cameras begin rolling at Dolby Theatre, our eyes are glued to the television as the stars roll out on the red carpet and collect their golden statuettes. Oscar night is a huge night for the film industry, but also for advertisers. Even though viewership doesn’t even compare to the scale of the Super Bowl, brands still see the value in a spot on telecast with serious reach and reputation.

Similar to earning an Academy Award nomination, securing one of these spots isn’t easy. This year a 30-second spot will cost an all-time record high of $1.9-$2 million, as reported by Kantar Media. To up the ante, the Los Angeles Times reported the cost could actually run as high as $2.2 million. At that rate, brands will be paying nearly $75,000 per second! The roster of ad spots includes giants like AT&T, General Motors, Samsung, and Coca-Cola, all of which are expected to run spots again this year. This annual celebration of cinematic arts is also an excellent creative platform for ad agencies to execute these spots. Oscar night can breed striking ads like Goodby Silverstein & Partner’s “Emily’s Oz,” which they created for Comcast. In this ad, the agency brings to life a little girl’s imagination of Oz. Watch below for this heartwarming visualization.

From Ellen DeGeneres’ Twitter

Any moment can also turn into a serendipitous product placement, as demonstrated by Ellen Degeneres when she took an epic selfie on her Samsung Galaxy Note.

Award winners aside, the biggest winner of the night may be the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The network is a longtime partner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and has been the exclusive broadcaster of the Academy Awards since 1976. This weekend’s broadcast is expected to bring in around $100 in ad revenue. With a contract secured through 2020, ABC has more years of increasing revenue ahead of them. Last year’s telecast gathered an audience of 37 million views, and while viewership may be dwindling, this is still a massive opportunity for brands. Even with a slight dip in ratings, Oscar night still ranked within the top 10 television programs of 2015. Be sure to tune in for the jokes, gowns and the ads! For more about Oscar night ads, read more at AdWeek.