Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett may have taken home Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, for their on-camera work, but American Express was the most effective of all the brands that advertised during the show based on a 61.74 percent increase in consumers' likelihood to purchase one of their products, according to BrandAds.
"With an average of 40.3 million viewers tuning in last year, demand for advertising inventory during the Oscars was at an all-time high this year, causing ad prices to reach record prices. The cost for a 30-second spot is rumored to have run brands a lofty $1.8 to $1.9 million dollars, and our intention was to scientifically answer the age old question, 'Is it worth it?'," said Avi Brown, founder and CEO of BrandAds. "The BrandAds Oscars Ad Effectiveness Study shows that the investment was absolutely worth the money - for some brands more than others."
The five most effective Oscars advertisers for 2014 based on increase in likelihood to purchase are:
1. American Express (61.74 percent)
2. Sprint (50.67 percent)
3. Lunesta (48.35 percent)
4. Cadillac (47.22 percent)
5. Chevrolet (44.21 percent)
The full results from the study can be found here, but here are a few highlights: