Scott Diussa | Courtesy of AMPAS
The stage at the Dolby Theatre at the 2016 Oscars, using Swarovski crystals in a set designed by Derek McLane
Backstage, Rolex will be exclusive sponsor of the Oscar’s green room for the second year running. Last year’s featured a “combination of classic style and superlative quality that are the hallmarks of both the Oscars and Rolex,” according to an online statement. However the watchmaker would not comment on the cost of its sponsorship, or how it measured the return on its investment when CNBC.com contacted it via email. Rolex has also set up a mentoring program for emerging artists.
For those not lucky enough to attend the ceremony, Rolex is hosting parties in New York and London, with guests at London’s Ham Yard hotel being treated to a midnight feast and espresso martinis, while those in New York will celebrate at the Rockefeller Plaza’s 65th floor Rainbow Room.
The TV ads
Academy Awards broadcaster ABC has sold out of advertising slots during the ceremony, it confirmed to CNBC.com via email. Ad spots are said to cost as much as $2.5 million per 30-second spot, and brands including Adidas, Stella Artois, AT&T, GM, Hyatt, McDonald’s, Samsung, Verizon and Walmart are set to advertise during the ceremony.
Walmart is the only retail sponsor of the Oscars, and it has worked with Hollywood directors Antoine Fuqua (“Southpaw”) and Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”) and “Superbad” creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to produce one-minute films based on six items on a Walmart receipt: bananas, batteries, paper towels, a scooter, wrapping paper and a video baby monitor. A teaser ad is currently running on its YouTube channel, with the full films to be released during the ceremony.
