Coming soon to the Oscars: movie ads

In a bid to repeal a policy many viewers probably didn’t know existed, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced it will no longer bar the purchases of commercial spots for movies to air during the Oscar ceremony, a ban that had been in effect for more than 50 years.

If the move seems like a rare acknowledgment that the ceremony is perhaps taken more seriously by the people who put it on than by the people who watch it, the new sanctions put in place suggest that’s not quite the case. Each studio is permitted only one spot on the roster, for example, and that ad must be created originally for the telecast. On top of that, each ad can only be for a film released the final Friday in April or after—effectively to force studios to buy ads for their summer event movies of the kind that help make Super Bowl commercials must-see.

The announcement comes as the annual ceremony, set to air next year on Feb. 22, has seen a steady decline in viewership over the past decade. According to the Los Angeles Times, the academy hopes the promise of exclusive previews for marquee movies will draw coveted younger viewers who run up advertising dollars for the main event.

Related links:
News: Buzz begins for Ricky Gervais to host next year's Oscars
News: The Dark Knight returns to theaters in Jan. for Oscar push
Ctrl-V: Oscars 2008 Live Blog

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