• by John Gaffney , March 11, 2003

The show must go on, as they say in Tinseltown. And go on it will, apparently. Even the threat of war has not budged The Academy Awards telecast, which will air Sunday, March 23. While the “Super Bowl for women” is dominated by major brands such as Anheuser-Busch, American Express and GM, smaller companies are using it as an advertising platform as well.

Financial services broker Washington Mutual will start its spring ad campaign with four spots on the Oscars. Senior advertising VP Dave King said the eight-week campaign will start on the show because the company wanted a female-oriented, event show. Last year 42 million viewers watched the Oscars. More than 42 percent were women.

“You have to look at the size of the audience and the size of the event,” King said. “The Grammys get a good audience. The final episodes of some reality shows get a good audience. But when it comes to big events on TV, you have the Super Bowl and The Oscars. And the Oscars are the chance to get to the mid-market audience. This is the night that the people in Des Moines, Iowa get to see Hollywood.”

The Washington Mutual campaign based on the tagline “The power of yes,” is aimed at middle-market consumers who may be in the market for first or second mortgages or other services. The campaign will also include radio, newspaper, outdoor and magazines.

Hyundai is taking an integrated approach to the show. It has sponsored a “Guide To The 2003 Academy Awards” with MSN.com. Hyundai has brand identification on all pages of the site and uses rich media, skyscrapers and keystones for advertising Hyundai brands. An Oscar winner sweepstakes gives consumers a chance to win one of three Hyundai automobiles.

The brand will also run spots during the ABC telecast. Sarah Fay, president of Carat Interactive said the interactive element, with its data capture and branding potential, will be impactful.

“The impact of being a TV sponsor is extended by the brand awareness developed through the MSN effort,” Fay said. “Data capture is the most specific benefit of this kind of campaign. It is easily the best way for car companies to generate test drives.”