Traditional advertising showcases are few and far between today, along with opportunities to appeal to a mass audience. Last night’s Academy Awards is one. According to Variety, the 2023 Oscars earned an audience of 18.75 million—more than double the most popular shows on TV (NCIS and FBI).
The best “commercial” of the evening was “I’m Just Ken,’ performed by Ryan Gossling and Mark Ronson, with a guest appearance by Slash.
According to Adweek, Disney sold out its ad inventory for the 96th Oscars on Sunday with sponsors spanning 17 categories. The company charged advertisers $1.7 million to $2.2 million for 30-second spots, which is up slightly from 2023.
Participating advertisers included Airbnb, Allstate, Booking.com, DoorDash, Dunkin’, NerdWallet, Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Starbucks, Walmart, and more.
Kim Kardashian’s brand, Skims, aired its first TV ad during the Oscars last night. The ad was made by Wieden+Kennedy Portland and directed by Frank Lebon.
SiriusXM launched a cinematic 3-minute spot today that received its television debut, in a shortened version, during the Academy Awards. The short film, called “A Life in Sound,” is “a celebration of the power of audio,” according to Suzi Watford, the brand’s chief growth officer.
The work, from agency Uncommon Creative Studio and director Kim Gehrig, features an eclectic soundtrack that includes Doja Cat, Bat for Lashes, Soul II Soul, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, among others, along with voices of SiriusXM hosts like Nikki and Brie Garcia, and Jose Mangin.
