The Oscars 2024, a More Popular Event

In 2024, the Academy Awards chose major box office hits, celebrating the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon (a contraction of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer). Broadcast live in over 200 countries, audiences are up again this year with 19.5 million viewers on ABC (the American broadcaster that holds the rights to the Oscars), up 4% on the 18.7 million viewers in 2023 and 13% in 2022 (according to Nielsen data). To counter the lack of interest that marked the 2021 edition, with its 10.4 million viewers, the Academy, and ABC decided to change their approach in order to revitalize an event that, in its heyday, could attract over 50 million viewers (the highest audience was reached 25 years ago, with over 57 million viewers, when Titanic won the award).

Two strategies were therefore put in place. The producers chose to start the ceremony an hour earlier to coincide with prime-time hours. , and to select more mainstream films. This was the other main reason why interest had waned. But the other major reason interest waned was centered on the choice of films in competition. According to data cited by The Guardian, "Parasite" - the surprise winner of Best Picture in 2020 - grossed $262 million at the global box office. "Nomadland," the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 2021, had grossed just under $40 million. The film awarded in 2023, "Everything Everywhere All at Once," grossed $143 million, an amount that was surpassed this year by Barbie's $1.5 billion and the $1 billion earned by the big winner "Oppenheimer."

Beyond audience considerations, the Oscars night remains a premier showcase for luxury brands. It is, of course, on the red carpet and at private parties that houses compete through ambassadors. Emma Stone, who won her second Oscar for the film "Poor Things," dazzled in her strapless Louis Vuitton gown, complemented by a diamond necklace from the same house's high jewelry collection. Margot Robbie wore Versace, while Emily Blunt wore a Schiaparelli dress complemented by Tiffany & Co. jewelry. Lily Gladstone and Ryan Gosling wore Gucci, Robert Downey Jr. opted for an outfit by Saint Laurent, and Cillian Murphy, Oscar winner for Best Actor for Oppenheimer, chose the Omega De Ville watch with a green dial to accompany his Versace tuxedo.

As for the Rolex brand, it is the Proud Sponsor of the Oscars for the eighth consecutive year. It is also the official host of the Greenroom, the antechamber of the Oscars ceremony. It is in this very exclusive reception space that nominees and speakers mingle during the intense emotional moments that precede and follow their appearance on stage.

The Oscars event is undoubtedly a factor that can increase the desirability and exclusive identity of luxury houses. Product placement is increasingly visible not only at cinema-related events (awards, festivals) but also in the filmmaking process: Chanel directly participated in the production of "Barbie" (awarded at the 2024 Oscars for Best Original Song), creating five unique silhouettes for the occasion.