Marketing News of the Week: Oscars and More

Oscars, Oscars, and more Oscars. Sure, the little gold statue made news this week, but there was some other marketing news too.

OSCAR CEREMONIES
According to MarketingDive, "Disney Advertising sold out of advertising inventory for ABC’s Oscars telecast Sunday. The film awards show’s 96th ceremony attracted brands representing 17 categories, including apparel, automotive, consumer packaged goods, entertainment and healthcare. Airbnb, Dunkin’, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Southwest Airlines and Walmart were among some of the brands who advertised. Healthy demand is a sign that advertisers continue to value live programming, and the Oscars, specifically, for the event’s ability to reach young, affluent, and multicultural consumers, according to Disney."

The "Barbenheimer" cultural phenomenon, the term created for both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" that were released last summer was a boon to studios and theaters that are still trying to recover from the post-pandemic slump and convince consumers that making the trip to multiplexes is worth the extra costs over streaming at home.

And yet, back to the term BARBENHEIMER...when was the last time that a movie got a different name by competing against other movies? Not in recent memory. Score one for brand marketing. According to Reid Goldberg at Collider, "The Barbenheimer phenomenon has become a global sensation and proven that cross-promotion can benefit competing blockbusters." And also stimulate the economy.

Lastly, what do you think of the winners? Did you see all the films nomimated for best picture? Although I saw BARBIE, OPPENHEIMER, and WONKA, I have to admit that the films did not live up to all the hype.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
March 8th was an important day on the equality calendar: International Women's Day, a global holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. It also brings attention to the women’s rights movement, focusing attention on gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

First celebrated in 1909 in New York City as "Women’s Day," the holiday was celebrated in 1911 by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. International Women’s Day was adopted as a global holiday by the United Nations in 1977.

Some brands stood out by their celebrations. Here are a couple:

(1) One example was Vermont Teddy Bear, who wrote in an email, "Today, and everyday, we celebrate all women including the hardworking team of fierce females behind our Teddy Bears and Stuffed Animals."

(2) Another example was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who shared on Twitter/X a quote from a co-owner and former tennis star Billie Jean King, "International Women's Day puts focus on women and the importance of women in all our lives. Let's focus on our contributions to society and do positive things for all women."

WOLVERINE and #WOMANMADE
Accoring to MarketingDive, "Boot maker Wolverine is kicking off Women's History Month with a purpose-driven campaign centered around gendered language that undermines inclusivity in the skilled trades, namely the absence of 'woman-made' in the dictionary alongside 'man-made.' The effort includes a Change.org petition that seeks to add 'women-made' to the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com. Change.org petitions have remained a playful way for brands to draw attention to purpose-driven campaigns."

Lauren King, Director of Branding at Wolverine explained, "In addition to our goal of getting 'woman-made' added to the dictionary, we hope to inspire girls and women around the world to have the confidence to pursue any passion, especially within the skilled trades where women are drastically underrepresented."

Also, since statistics show that over half of American homes are sustained by women, yet they remain underrepresented in the skilled trades, Wolverine is partnering with Girls Garage, a design and construction school for girls and gender-expansive youths ages 9-18, and donating $25,000 to the organization. Founded in 2013, Girls Garage is the first-ever design and building workshop for female-identifying youth in the United States.

What other recent marketing buzz caught your attention? There's always something happening that impacts marketing, so tune in to #DebbieLaskeysBlog for the scoop!

Image Credit: Pantone.

Change.org Petition by Wolverine:
https://www.change.org/p/add-woman-made-to-the-dictionary

Wolverine's Woman Made page:
https://www.wolverine.com/US/en/woman-made/