The Academy Awards have had a ban on running movie advertisements during the Oscars for the last 50 years, but the economic times must be getting to everybody because for the first time in over five decades, you’re going to see trailers during the awards show. Advertising during the Oscars is the primary source of revenue for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Ads were originally kept out to prevent the appearance of buying an Oscar. But despite concerns of influencing the judges, it would seem to make perfect sense to advertise movies during a movie awards show. Marketing professor George Belch says,
“It’s a perfect advertising venue for films. The telecast delivers an audience that is very interested in movies, and that’s the target audience that the studios want to reach.”
Keeping some regulations in place, films that are up for an award will not be allowed to advertise. The Academy hopes to increase not only revenues, but viewership. Although it’s being compared to the Super Bowl, I doubt the advertisements will get that involved.
See a video from the 2008 Oscars below.
Photo Source: PR Photos
2008 Oscar Video