The Oscars Win with Great PR

The Oscars are here again. On Sunday night, millions of viewers will sit on their couch and watch the glamor and prestige of the 83rd annual Academy Awards. The ceremony is the oldest media award ceremony and is televised in over 200 countries. Last year’s show had 41.62 million viewers. The Oscars have been called by some as one of the best examples of good public relations ever. How does the Academy do it?

One of the reasons that the Oscars is so prestigious is because it was the first. The first Academy Awards was held in 1929 as a way to make movies more popular as a leisure activity. The Oscars encouraged people to go to the movies and movies encouraged people to watch the Oscars. The ceremony was the best and first formal movie award ceremony and being the first is what gives the Oscars so much prestige.

And prestige is what gives the Oscars so many opportunities to capitalize on good public relations. All year round, movies advertise on the box as “nominated for an Academy Award” or “Winner of Best Picture.” Actors are constantly referred to as “Best Actress winner” or “Best Actress nominee.” Press for the Oscars occurs months before the actual event, building up anticipation for the ceremony held in February. In addition, red carpet before shows build up the anticipation for viewers even greater. Countdowns to the Oscars occur for months before the show on television stations, on websites, etc. And the shows never seem to disappoint, leaving viewers coming back year after year and maintaining some of the best public relations of any award ceremony on television.