Academy Awards & Films: How Film Marketing Has Changed Over The Years?

The Oscar for Best Overall Film goes to… Marketing.

The 97th Academy Awards will be presented at the Dolby Theater on Sunday, March 2, 2025. It is one of the strongest Oscars since the 92nd Academy Award and the 95th Academy Awards, with buzzworthy films such as Anora, The Brutalist, The Substance, Wicked, etc. It is expected to be a stacked and tough Oscars post-SAG-AFTRA and Writers’ strike.

Over the years, the film(s) with the most nominations go on to win the Oscars for certain categories. Interestingly, films have generated buzz over the years, thanks to social media.

Film Twitter and YouTube movie reviewers

‘Film Twitter’ is a subculture in the Twitterverse where film experts share film news, and insights on projects and post-film reviews after screenings. Film Twitter has changed entertainment journalism because of social media. YouTube movie reviews such as Jonathan Fujii, The Oscar Expert, Luke Hearfield, and more have their own take on the film and word spreads on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Letterboxd

Letterboxd is another platform for reviewing films as users log the film they saw and share their thoughts with an in-depth review or a witty one-liner. The platform has garnered so much popularity in the past decade that it’s been one of the sponsors of each film festival. The crew would interview the cast and crew and list their four favourite films.

Film marketing 101

It’s not just film reviews that generate buzz. It’s how films are marketed. Each film needs a hook to grab attention. Take the 2024 film Dune Part 2. The sequel to the 2021 film Dune did something unique and downright bizarre with the introduction to the Sandworm Popcorn Bucket. There was a viral video of a moviegoer riding a sandworm at the movie theatre in full costume.

The Substance is another great example. The body horror satire film uses EDM artist Endor’s track Pump It Up for one scene. The film also uses memes to elude a current protagonist’s older self into a younger, better version of a popular fictional character.

Deadpool & Wolverine is another superhero film that made more than a billion dollars at the box office. What’s unique about it is the long overdue team-up between the merc with the mouth and the grizzled Wolverine for comic book fans. That and NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye track with danceable choreography that has captured a generation. It, too, features its own popcorn bucket thanks to Ryan Reynolds’ twisted humour.

All of this to say…

Film marketing can be in the form of reviews, memes, discussions, and interviews that generate buzz leading to the greatest prize… The Academy Awards. It could even be spread by word of mouth among moviegoers as long as they don’t spoil the movie.

The Oscars belong to the cinephiles and studio marketing for their hard work and creativity. It’s the Super Bowl/World Cup of film. Celebrating the best in film released in 2024. It may be one of the strongest competitions in recent years, followed by post-actors’ and writers’ strikes.