The 96th edition of the Oscars ignited a frenzy for fashion, film, and the overall Hollywood experience. After the celebratory night is over, brands should continue investing in customer engagement to prolong awareness and sales.
Table of Contents
The 96th Academy Awards (Oscars) In A Nutshell
The 96th Academy Awards (Oscars) was held on March 10, 2024. It was a night of triumph for Christopher Nolan’s biographical film “Oppenheimer.” The film emerged as the clear winner, dominating the major categories and taking home seven awards in total. This included the coveted Best Picture award, solidifying the film’s critical and commercial success. Nolan finally secured a Best Director Oscar, an honor that had eluded him throughout his illustrious career. Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer was also recognized with the Best Actor award.
While “Oppenheimer” reigned supreme at the Oscars, the ceremony wasn’t a one-horse race. Other films received well-deserved recognition. “Poor Things” garnered a strong showing, snagging four awards across various categories including Best Actress for Emma Stone. Additionally, “The Zone of Interest” wasn’t left empty-handed, taking home two awards.
Billie Eilish secured her second Oscar in two tries with the track “What Was I Made For?” winning Best Original Song for the movie “Barbie”. She is now the youngest person to win two Oscars.
These accolades spread indicate a diverse range of films resonated with the Academy and the audience.
One notable surprise was the lack of wins for Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Despite securing ten nominations, the film failed to convert any into wins. The same fate happened to “Maestro” which went 0 of seven nominations.
Capitalizing on Oscar Wins: Retail Experiences for Winning Films / All About Customer Engagement
Winning an Oscar can catapult a movie into the cultural spotlight. Here’s how retailers can leverage this for post-Oscars revenue generation, focusing specifically on the winning films:
Merchandise Bonanza:
- Limited Edition Collectibles: Partner with the studio to create exclusive merchandise tied to the movie. This could include anything from t-shirts featuring iconic scenes or character quotes to figurines, replica props, or soundtrack box sets. Limited editions create a sense of urgency and collectability, driving sales.
- Themed Clothing Lines: Collaborate with clothing brands to design apparel lines inspired by the movie’s aesthetic, characters, or themes. This could be a casual line for fans or a more high-end collection for fashionistas wanting to emulate the movie’s style.
- Interactive Displays: Create in-store displays that showcase the movie. Imagine recreating iconic scenes with props and costumes, allowing customers to take pictures with replicas of the Oscar statue, or even offering virtual reality experiences that immerse fans in the film’s world. Some of the winning movies may be re-released for a short time. This is the perfect opportunity to use interactive displays at movie theaters, malls, and locations with ad networks to promote and extend reach.
Beyond the Big Screen:
- Movie-Themed Experiences: Partner with local businesses to create experiences inspired by the movie. This could be escape rooms themed around the film’s plot, themed restaurant menus featuring dishes inspired by the setting, or even location tours for movies shot on-site.
- Exclusive Content & Behind-the-Scenes Access: Offer exclusive content bundles that include the movie with bonus features like behind-the-scenes documentaries, director’s commentary, or deleted scenes. This caters to fans who want a deeper dive into the film’s creation process.
- Book, DVD / Blu-Ray, Soundtrack Bundles: If the movie is based on a book or has a critically acclaimed soundtrack, create bundled packages featuring the film, the original book, and the soundtrack for a complete fan experience. Indigo, Amazon, and local libraries can take the opportunity to further the discussion on all winning movies. The exposure could generate more interest in reading the source material that inspired the actors, directors, and screenwriters.
Community & Social Media Engagement:
- Live Q&A Sessions with Cast & Crew: Organize online or in-store Q&A sessions featuring the film’s cast and crew. This allows fans to interact with the people who brought the movie to life, further deepening their connection with the film and potentially leading to merchandise purchases.
- Interactive Social Media Campaigns: Organize new social media campaigns to promote the movie but also discuss the historical importance of storytelling for community engagement.
- Museum and Themed Park Integration: Universal Pictures may want to incorporate some elements of Oppenheimer in the future Universal Studio theme park ride.
- Virtual Reality Experiences: Create VR experiences that immerse viewers in the film’s world. Imagine exploring key locations from the movie, interacting with characters, or even experiencing pivotal scenes firsthand. This could be offered as a premium add-on to movie purchases or rentals.
- Interactive Viewing Platforms: Develop interactive platforms that allow viewers to engage with the film while watching. Imagine features like real-time trivia about the movie, behind-the-scenes insights triggered by specific scenes, or even polls where viewers vote on the fate of characters, influencing a secondary viewing experience.
Extending The Brand:
- Prequel/Sequel Explorations: Partner with streaming platforms or studios to develop prequel or sequel content related to the award-winning movie. This could be in the form of short films exploring the backstories of certain characters, animated series delving deeper into the film’s universe, or even interactive web series that bridge the gap between the movie and potential sequels.
- Boardway Play Adaptation: Develop a play version of the movie similar to how “Mean Girls” did.
- Interactive Story Apps: Develop interactive story apps that allow fans to choose their adventure within the film’s universe. Imagine branching narratives where users make decisions impacting the story’s direction, further immersing them in the world and the characters.
Barbie Is The Actual Big Winner
While “Barbie” only won one award out of eight nominations during this year’s Oscars, it was the movie with the most mentioned during the ceremony watched by more than 19.5 million viewers on Sunday night (a post-pandemic high).
The movie was mentioned by the show’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, during his opening monologue, and two of its nominated songs were performed (those above “What Was I Made For” and the show-stealing “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling). Multiple stars from the movie (including Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, and Kate McKinnon) were also presenters providing humor for the ceremony. Finally, Dua Lipa played a third song, “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa, ” during the ceremony’s opening and closing.
Mattel could use the Oscars’ exposure to showcase its toys and other upcoming merchandise soon.
By creating a connection between the Oscars and imaginative play, other brands with Barbie exposure can leverage the excitement of the awards show to generate continued interest in new products and initiatives.
Follow this link for more information about the Retail Mashup content platform
Follow this link for more insights
Follow this link for more podcast episodes
Follow this link to participate in regular polls
