• by Karl Greenberg , February 17, 2010

New York City to the Oscars: "You talkin' to me?" The former, in alliance with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and NYC & Company, the city's marketing organization are launching a two-week ad and promotional campaign to convince New Yorkers and visitors that the Oscars are as much about New York as they are about Hollywood.

The effort includes an ad campaign, movie memorabilia, a movie marathon and tours leading up to a ticketholder-only cocktail party and viewing of the Academy Awards in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Most of the elements begin the week of March 1, but ads start on Feb. 22.

An outdoor media plan includes bus shelter, street pole banner, newsstand, phone kiosk and taxi cab ads that show the Oscar against a nighttime Manhattan juxtaposed with movie lines like "I'll have what she's having" from "When Harry Met Sally" and "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?" from "Taxi Driver."

As part of the program, the Film Society of Lincoln Center will run a movie series called "And the Winner Goes to ... New York" March 5-7 in the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center. The series will feature films like "Annie Hall," "Raging Bull," "The Godfather," "West Side Story," "Klute," "French Connection," and "Dog Day Afternoon" -- all of which take place in the Big Apple.

The Shops at Columbus Circle in Time Warner Center will run a "Meet the Oscars" exhibition starting Feb. 25 and running through March 7 that features the physical Oscar statuettes won by New York-based directors, producers and actors.

During the week starting March 1, a "New York TV & Movie Sites" bus tour will visit sites frequented by N.Y.-based celebs. A "New York Classic Movie" tour launches March 7.

A full-page ad and sweepstakes to win tickets to the Oscar night event appears in the Feb. 17 issue of Time Out NY; the campaign will include promotional elements on Facebook and Twitter; and the NYC Information Center near Times Square will have Oscar-themed content and media.