Hasta La Creative!

This year, the advertisers are better known than the movies. –L.A. Times

For brands looking to persuade a mass audience, tomorrow night, “Oscar Sunday,” is prime time.

General Motors, MasterCard, American Express Co., JC Penney Co. Inc., Coca-Cola Co., Mars Inc.’s M&M candies, McDonald’s Corp., L’Oreal and others all ponied up $1.8 million to ABC for a 30-second spot, an increase of nearly 6% from the previous year.

Yet, some would question the investment.

“This year we don’t have ‘The Lord of the Rings’ or any other big blockbuster, nor do we have any great enthusiasm about the host Jon Stewart,” said Kelly O’Keefe, an advertising professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“The show is bigger than the individual movie titles,” said Geri Wang, senior vice president for prime-time sales at ABC. “It’s larger than the sum of its parts.”

Indie darling, Juno, was the only film to pull in more than $100 million at the box office last year.