Converge Weekly

This year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rolled out its first app before the Oscars, which aired Sunday, should any fans not be able to catch it on television.

Visitors that went to m.oscar.com were able to receive mobile alerts as well share pictures over Twitter and Facebook and view trailers for the nominated films. Live streams, however, were not available on the iPhone/iTouch app with no supporting Flash functionality, Techie Buzz noted.

Supporting Role

However most of the social network activity around the Oscars came from advertisers seeking to complement TV campaigns than the actual event itself – much as has occurred with the Super Bowl.  “It’s no longer smart just to buy on the Academy Awards,” says consultant Charlene Li. “You have to tie into social media so that people talk about you.” (via USA Today).

Other ways social media and the Oscars bisected this year, according to USA Today:

• J.C. Penney “leaked” all seven of its Oscar ads via its Facebook page before the ads air during the show.

• Samsung sponsored ABC.com’s Oscar “red carpet,” which offered live steaming of celebs arriving. A Facebook chat function acted as “a virtual online water cooler.”

• Because of Academy Awards rules, sponsor Hyundai could not have its regular ad voice, best actor nominee Jeff Bridges, in its Oscar ads. So Hyundai used Facebook to explain why it rejiggered all seven ads with famous substitutes.

• Advertiser Cottonelle toilet paper prompted Oscar watchers to vote and chat online about whether they install their rolls “under or over.”

• The bar at hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica, Calif., had several side-by-side flat screens – one with the Oscar show, the other with a live Twitter feed inviting guests to tweet comments.