And The Oscar for Advertising Goes to ... Pepsi
But is an Ad During the Oscars Really Worth It?
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Norwalk, CT, March 1, 2004 - According to leading global advertising research firm, Ipsos ASI, Pepsi was the big winner of this year’s Oscars broadcast, with Cadillac grabbing a Best Supporting Role for the most memorable advertising. This is the second year in a row that Pepsi has topped the list of advertisers remembered by consumers following the Academy Awards. Pepsi was the second most memorable (behind Anheuser-Busch) at this year’s Super Bowl showing Pepsi’s substantial investment in both events. The two marketers aired a total of 16 ads during the Oscars telecast on February 29 (7 for Pepsi/Diet Pepsi and 9 for Cadillac), again showing that the most memorable advertisers are the biggest advertising spenders.
The Oscars is considered the second largest network television buying opportunity of the year among advertisers, second only to the Super Bowl. This year’s 76th Annual Academy Awards broadcast drew an estimated 42.5 million viewers, up 17% from last year. National advertisers paid a reported $1.5 million for a 30-second ad spot during the Oscar’s broadcast … but did they get their money’s worth?
Although the Oscars may be considered the “Super Bowl for Women”, viewing behavior is quite different from that mega-event. According to research Ipsos ASI conducted after both events, those who watch the Oscars are much more likely to switch channels during the commercials than those watching the Super Bowl (50% versus 25% for the Super Bowl). In addition, just under half of viewers watched the entire Oscars broadcast, compared with almost two-thirds who watched the entire Super Bowl. This has implications for advertisers who target their ads for the end of the Oscars, when the most coveted awards are being given, such as Best Actor and Best Picture. Further, men who watched this year’s Super Bowl remembered an average of 3.5 of the ads that were shown during the game, where 2004 Oscars’ viewers could remember just over two. In fact, fewer than half (42%) could remember an advertiser during the Oscars, where 89% of men could remember an advertiser from the Super Bowl.
"The audience clearly consumes advertising differently during the Oscars, than during the Super Bowl," said Lana Busignani, Senior VP, Ipsos ASI. "The Super Bowl has more focus on the ads and build-up and excitement regarding the advertising in advance, while the Oscars program is more about the event and the celebrities…the advertising is less hyped."
Finally, we see that some Oscars’ advertisers were distinctly targeting a female audience with their ads, while others did not appear to be trying to reach only women. This year’s performance by Cadillac shows that the ceremonies may actually be a good opportunity to connect with a male audience.
Ipsos ASI conducted interviews via the Internet with 300 adult males and females, ages 21-60 following Sunday’s broadcast. For the complete results of this study, visit us at http://www.ipsosasi.com.
About Ipsos ASI
Ipsos ASI is the largest provider of advertising pre-testing services in the world. It is a member of the Ipsos Group of companies, the second largest survey-based marketing research firm in the world. Ipsos ASI offers a full range of advertising research solutions to help clients make the best decisions at all stages of the advertising development process, and to maximize the return on their advertising investment. Our commitment is to provide insights to advertisers to help in the development, evaluation, and improvement of their advertising efforts. This is why Ipsos ASI can help you build stronger brands.
For more information, please contact Lana Busignani at or (312) 665-0600.