Brands are paying around US$2.6 million (AUD$3.8 million) for a 30-second television commercial during the Academy Awards.
According to an article in Forbes, the price tag is 54% less than advertising during the Super Bowl but is broadcast in 225 countries around the world.
It also costs US$72,000 to run a full page ad on page one of The Hollywood Reporter during Oscar season.
ABC, the award ceremony's broadcaster, sold out of its ad inventory well ahead of the ceremony with Google, Verizon, Rolex and Cadillac named the four major sponsors of the event.
This year, some of the ads will be boycotted by not-for-profit initiative Give Her A Break, which aims to raise awareness of female film makers and to take a stand against the male-dominated best director category.
Give Her A Break has created an online portal for viewers to watch the ceremony sans ads, with films directed by women played instead during the ad breaks.
ABC has also come under fire this year for blocking an ad from postpartum product brand Frida Mom which shows what postpartum can be like for new mums.
Frida Mom was allegedly told the ad was rejected for being “too graphic with partial nudity and product demonstration". However, the company still posted it to YouTube.
This year at the 92nd Academy Awards, the brands advertising include Adobe, Peroni and The New York Times.
Adobe
Tech giant Adobe has released its 60-second ad #CreativityForAll to celebrate the democratisation of creativity. The mixed-media film is set to the song Pure Imagination by Gene Wilder and features icons of the digital era, like Shepard Fairey and Malala Yousafzai. The production credit list, which has over 1,000 names, includes every artist who had a hand in creating the imagery featured in the spot.
The New York Times
The New York Times has returned to the Academy Awards for a second time with an ad created by Droga5 which builds on the publisher's 'Truth' platform. The spot, which stars actress and singer Janelle Monae, focuses on The New York Times' award-winning multimedia feature 'The 1619 Project' - the story of slavery in the United States. The campaign also includes a series of print ads.
Cadillac
Automotive brand and sponsor of the Academy Awards, Cadillac, has released a spot created by Leo Burnett Detroit. The spot stars Oscar award-winning actress and director Regina King introducing the brand's Make Your Way campaign. King tells the story of success achieved through boundary-pushing strength and determination in a special spot with the all-new 2021 Cadillac Escalade. Two additional spots, No Barriers and Finish Line, will air during the Oscars broadcast, each highlighting Cadillac’s new vehicle lineup, while celebrating the grit of those who make their own way to success.
Verizon
Verizon is set to air four separate commercials, all created by McCann, during the Oscars. Each spot will focus on women, LGBTQ and immigrants, continuing to star real Verizon customers telling their stories. As part of the campaign this year, Verizon will also showcase its 5G technology by transporting people in New York City’s Times Square to the Oscars Red Carpet. The tech company is also one of the four major sponsors for the Academy Awards this year.
McDonald’s
Fast food chain McDonald's will release an extension of its Grammys ad voiced by actor Brian Cox describing the details of the company's burger. Created by Wieden + Kennedy, the 30-second spot detailing the Quarter Pounder with Cheese will air twice during the awards ceremony.
Peroni
Italian beer brand Peroni will air its House Party ad during the Oscars, alongside seeded product placement at the ceremony. Gold bottles, similar to the Oscars trophies, will be placed with selected influencers.
Heinz Ketchup
Heinz Ketchup has released a comedic spot making light of all the appearances the brand's condiments have made in films over the years. Despite this, none of the condiments have been nominated for an award which led the brand to creating its own IMDB page with all the films it has starred in. Created by Rethink Toronto, the ad calls on fans to share its film appearances on social media to win free ketchup.
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