Commentary

Oscar Ads: Success and Failure

An air of restraint might have hung over the Oscars, but it did not extend to the advertising. All available spots seemed to be filled, and by mostly upscale brands, all of whom pulled out the stops to produce cinematic spots-some new-worthy of Oscar's diamond jubilee. I imagine I'm not alone when I say that the entertainment value of Sunday's advertising exceeded that of overly hyped Super Bowl ads.

Similar to the Super Bowl, you have to wonder whether it's really worth the stratospheric cost for some advertisers, namely BMW, Mercedes, and Infiniti. If the Oscarcast is really the "Super Bowl for women" and delivers a similar sized audience, then you're wasting a lot of money reaching people on a Ford and Chevy budget. The presence of mass-market brands McDonalds, Aquafina (Coke), and JC Penney only emphasizes the point. Cadillac, who had no less than six ads, probably did the right thing. Their cars occupy a slightly lower price tier, and the brand is in desperate need of the luster that Oscar confers. The foreign luxury marks would probably have done better to sponsor the Independent Spirit Awards on IFC, especially Saab, which built its brand on a contrarian positioning.

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The mass-market brands were the big success story, both in terms of right-place-at-the-right-time and sending the right message. Troubled retailer JC Penney couldn't invent a better vehicle to revitalize its brand than the show about glamour and fashion that reaches women across the socio-economic spectrum. The creative was spot-on: smart and sophisticated like something Target might have done, but not too hip for the folks in Des Moines. McDonalds also scored a coup, reaching the mass audience they need, but in a venue that moves the brand slightly upscale. The spots, Carmen Elektra as an aunt saving her nephew from schoolyard humiliation and a father-son duo commiserating over a hard day, were damn funny and made the point that McDonalds is family food. Another mega food company, Coke, showed two great-looking black-and-white ads for Aquafina that gave the bottled water a premium sheen and made a subtle connection to the proceedings at hand with art-house cinematography.

Offering more action than the best picture Oscar (you didn't really think Gangs would knock-off the easy-to-swallow Chicago, did you?) was the clash of the credit card titans, MasterCard and Amex. In the end, MasterCard beat Amex like a redheaded stepchild. Amex's spots with Tiger Woods and an overzealous Jack Russell Terrier were fun, but do you really want to send the message that your dog could use your credit card? MasterCard's spots were also amusing, but made a clear connection between user benefits and convenience and the card that's accepted everywhere. Lastly, a word about Washington Mutual, the loan company you never knew existed, but probably do today. Hysterical. Sure, you're thinkin' by now that I'm an easy mark, but I'm telling you, it was funny stuff, and I still remember who the ads were for. Not bad for a company that had zero national recognition a week ago.

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