for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit, May 6-8 in Palm Springs.
Girl Scouts’ mention in the Oscars was worth $5.5 million in free advertising
And the award for best random brand exposure goes to … the Girl Scouts.
During last night’s Oscars ceremony, the three-and-a-half-hour program was filled to the brim with commercials from Samsung, Android and Cadillac, but it was a non-profit organization that didn’t spend a penny advertising that raked in millions in free exposure.
“I want you to reach into your millionaire pockets and buy some of my daughter’s Girl Scout cookies,” host Chris Rock said during the second hour of the Academy Awards, bringing his girls on stage. He explained that his daughters constantly complaining about not being their troop’s top-seller.
Not anymore. Rock’s stunt raked in $65,000 from celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Kate Winslet, Sam Smith and Olivia Wilde who all happen to carry cash on them. Even Vice President Joe Biden gave Rock an extra $20, according to this covert video he posted on Twitter.
Biden gave me $20 for cookies… #Oscars pic.twitter.com/rCLbrNXIZI
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) February 29, 2016
But it was the Girl Scouts that earned so much more. The mention was worth $5.5 million free advertising, according to Joyce Julius Associates, an independent firm that analyzes sponsorships and brand mentions. Eric Wright, the company’s president, told Digiday that estimate comes from the in-broadcast exposure itself, as well as the dozens of articles about it online and print as well as highlights from the awards show.
He said that the number will “possibly grow” as entertainment programs keep recapping it. The Girl Scouts capitalized on the moment on its Twitter account sending out more than a dozen tweets related to the bit, like this one:
Sweetest. Oscars. Ever. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/WTn44Jc20b
— Girl Scouts (@girlscouts) February 29, 2016
The bit helped the Girl Scouts become the most-talked brand during the Oscars, garnering 49,000 tweets according to Amobee Brand Intelligence. That’s likely welcome news for Total Beauty’s social media manager who embarrassed the brand before the show even started by confusing Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
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