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THOUGHTS ON
Sponsorship on the red carpet
Following the release of some phenomenal cinema d u r i n g t h e l a s t y e a r , t h e t i m e c a m e t o c e l e b r a t e t h e successes of filmmakers and actors alike at the two m o s t - c o v e t e d A w a r d s C e r e m o n i e s : t h e B A F T A s a n d t h e O s c a r s .
W h i l s t m o s t o f t h e b u z z a r o u n d t h e s e e v e n t s focused on Casey Affleck , Ryan Gosling and their respective film nominations , the red carpet r e m a i n e d a h u g e o p p o r t u n i t y f o r b r a n d s t o s t a n d o u t f r o m t h e r e s t . V i s i b i l i t y a t t h i s t y p e o f e v e n t c a n b e i m m e n s e l y r e w a r d i n g f o r b r a n d s w a n t i n g t o increase their profile i n t h i s c u l t u r a l s p a c e .
G i v e n t h a t t h e B A F T A s p r e c e d e d t h e O s c a r s , i t s e e m s l o g i c a l t o s t a r t b y l o o k i n g a t t h i s i t e r a t i o n o f t h e a w a r d s . T h e B A F T A s , i n f a c t , h a v e a historic , long-standing partnership with EE ( p r e v i o u s l y O r a n g e ) t h a t s p a n s o v e r t w o d e c a d e s . A s a l w a y s , t h e y w e r e t h e t i t l e s p o n s o r f o r 2 0 1 7 i n w h a t m a r k e d t h e i r 1 9 th y e a r o f p a r t n e r s h i p a n d h a v e n o w e x t e n d e d t h i s d e a l u n t i l a t l e a s t 2 0 1 9 .
W h a t i s s t r i k i n g a b o u t E E ’ s s p o n s o r s h i p o f t h i s e v e n t i s t h e i r c o n t i n u a l d e s i r e t o i n n o v a t e a t t h e e v e n i n g i t s e l f , a l w a y s s t r i v i n g t o s h o w o f f t h e i r l a t e s t t e c h n o l o g i e s o n t h e b i g s t a g e . T h i s y e a r , E E ’ s s t a r a t t r a c t i o n w a s t h e Roboselfie : a r o b o t i c c a m e r a t h a t f o l l o w e d h o s t L a u r a W h i t m o r e a r o u n d t h e r e d c a r p e t t a k i n g s e l f i e s w i t h t h e i n v i t e e s .
T h i s i s n ’ t t h e o n l y w a y i n w h i c h E E a c t i v a t e a t t h e c e r e m o n y h o w e v e r . T h e y a r e a l s o t h e n a m e d sponsor of the EE Rising Star Award : an award that celebrates the acting talent of the future - J a m e s M c A v o y a c t u a l l y w o n t h e a w a r d b a c k i n 2 0 0 6 w h i l s t T o m H o l l a n d c l a i m e d t h e p r i z e t h i s y e a r .
A d d i t i o n a l s p o n s o r s a t t h e B A F T A s i n c l u d e d A m e r i c a n A i r l i n e s w h o f l e w a c t i n g t a l e n t o v e r t o
t h e U K o n a s p e c i a l p r i v a t e a i r c r a f t a s w e l l a s S w a r o v s k i w h o w e r e t h e o f f i c i a l j e w e l l e r y a n d g i f t p r o v i d e r f o r t h e e v e n i n g .
W h i l s t t h e B A F T A s r e t a i n a t y p i c a l s p o n s o r portfolio in which multiple brands have their o w n e x c l u s i v e c a t e g o r i e s , t h e O s c a r s t a k e m o r e o f a n a n t i q u i t o u s , t r a d i t i o n a l a p p r o a c h . They announced just t w o o f f i c i a l s p o n s o r s t h i s y e a r i n R o l e x , w h o w e r e n a m e d t h e O fficial Sponsor of the Green Room , a n d P w C , w h o c o n t i n u e d t h e i r t r a d i t i o n o f b e i n g t h e B a l l o t i n g P a r t n e r , s o m e t h i n g t h a t c a u s e d i m m e n s e c o n t r o v e r s y t h i s y e a r .
I n f a c t , P w C h a v e a r i c h h i s t o r y o f sponsoring the Oscars having overseen the counting of the ballots for the past 83 years . S o , w h e n t h e m o s t - c o v e t e d a w a r d o f t h e e n t i r e n i g h t ( B e s t P i c t u r e ) w a s w r o n g l y awarded , a n d t h e c a s t o f La La Land were c a l l e d o n s t a g e i n s t e a d o f t h e Moonlight entourage , it was painfully embarrassing for b o t h t h e a u d i e n c e a n d t h e sponsor .
S u b s e q u e n t l y , t h e a c c o u n t a n c y f i r m i s s u e d a n official announcement over Twitter sincerely a p o l o g i s i n g t o a l l t h o s e i n v o l v e d i n t h e m i s h a p a n d a d m i t t i n g t h a t t h e w r o n g e n v e l o p e h a d b e e n g i v e n t o t h e p r e s e n t e r . I t w a s r e v e a l e d t h e e n v e l o p e r e a d : “ B e s t A c t r e s s : E m m a S t o n e , La La Land ” , a n a w a r d t h a t h a d been presented beforehand .
S o , w h i l s t t h e B A F T A s w e n t s w i m m i n g l y f o r a l l i n v o l v e d , t h e O s c a r s w e r e a d i s a s t e r f o r a long- standing partner , something that might inspire the Academy Awards to modernise in s o m e w a y , s h a p e o r f o r m f o r 2 0 1 8 . W e ’ l l w a i t a n d s e e .