Date: 02-18-2008
The Oscars will be just in time after months of strike uncertainty, delighting those in Tinseltown and the organizers of the annual glitz fest, but evoking far less pleasure for marketers who question its effectiveness post-strike. ''Once again, there are lots of films that most people haven't seen and don't care about,'' wrote Slate's ''Hollywoodland'' columnist Kim Masters after the nominations were announced. The five best picture nominees have combined domestic ticket sales of $295 million, only about 3% of the total box-office collections for the year. And those numbers include the sales for the low-budget indie Juno, which has already raked in more than $120 million at the box office. ''Considering the anticipation and hype that precede the show every year, this is one pretty awful excuse for A-list entertainment,'' Marc Peyser stated on Newsweek.com. So this year's gala event will feature its usual suspects — glittering women, overlooked talent, and awards night upsets — but it may not give marketers much to rave about.
