Oscar Celebrity Endorsements Jump 500%

March 1, 2011

greenlight-ad-gauge-mar-2011.JPGNearly one in four ads shown during the February 27, 2011 Academy Awards (Oscar) broadcast featured a celebrity endorsement, according to [pdf] the Ad Gauge from media licensing company GreenLight. This represents a 500% increase in endorsement ads from the 2010 broadcast, when less than 5% featured celebrity endorsements.

Endorsements Return to 2009 Levels

The percentage of ads featuring celebrity endorsements in this year’s Oscar telecast marks a rough return to the percentage of 2009 (20%). However, it is still about 40% from the 2008 telecast, when almost 40% of ads featured celebrity endorsements.

Licensed Music Ads Down

While celebrity endorsements were up during this year’s Oscar telecast, ads featuring licensed music were down significantly. Only 16% of ads in 2011 featured licensed music, close to a 50% reduction from about 30% in 2010. The percentage of ads featuring licensed music was relatively flat between 2008 and 2010.

1 in 3 Ads Feature Celebs or Music

Taking a combined look at ads featuring celebrity endorsements or licensed music, about 35% contained one of these features. The combined percentage is flat compared to 2010, but down close to 30% from almost 50% in 2009 and about 50% from roughly 70% in 2008.

Brand Jingles Rarely Used

Less than 5% of ads in this year’s Oscar telecast used brand jingles. This low percentage has been fairly consistent since 2008.

30-second Spot Cost Rises 13%

The cost of a 30-second advertising spot during the 2011 Oscar telecast was $1.7 million, up about 13% from $1.5 million in 2010. Ads sold out a month before the show and at three hours and 12 minutes, the ceremony was shorter than in previous years.

Chevy, Fox Ads Draw Super Bowl Viewers

Examining ad performance from the recent Super Bowl, generally considered the most important TV advertising event of the year, ads for automaker Chevrolet and the Fox TV network dominated the list of most-watched ads during Super Bowl XLV on Sunday, February 6, 2011, according to data from The Nielsen Company.

The number one ad, featuring two guys describing a woman’s wild ride in a silver Chevrolet Camaro, was the most-watched commercial of all time. An estimated 119,628,000 viewers watched the ad, surpassing the previous record holder, a Doritos commercial from last year’s Super Bowl with 116,231,920 viewers.

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