What Can Marketers Learn from the 2024 Oscar nominations? 

Creativity pays off

The resounding message from the 2024 Oscar nominations is clear: bold creativity pays off. Take, for instance, “Poor Things,” a film with a relatively low $35 Million budget competing against blockbuster extravaganzas like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” which both had over $100 million in budget. Despite the latter’s massive marketing budgets, the Oscars are highlighting films like “Poor Things” that emerge from a different creative paradigm.

Women’s Representation

While celebrating creativity, it’s crucial to address the issue of women’s representation in the nominations. The Best Director category featured only one female director, only a slight improvement on last year’s absence of women in the directing nominations. Ironically Barbie has caused a stir due to an actor nomination for Ryan Gosling, but not for Margot Robbie.  As per the BAFTAs ‘Barbie’ Director Greta Gerwig didn’t get a nomination, despite Barbie being nominated for best picture. Last year, ‘Women Talking’ made the best picture lineup, but Director Sarah Polley didn’t get a nod for Best Director. Celine Song’s ‘Past Lives’ is also nominated for best Picture but not Best Director. French Director Justine Triet is the sole female in the Best Director category with a well-deserved nomination for ‘Anatomy of a Fall.’ Positive change is being made but the Academy has a role to play in inspiring women that they can be successful in the top jobs, just as marketers do when working with female creatives.

From the nominated films our favourites include: Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall and The Holdovers. All are examples of a Producer taking a chance on a bold story. As brand video producers what can we learn from this year’s nominations? Bold Storytelling gets rewarded. In a landscape oversaturated with content, playing it safe and following the crowd won’t garner attention. It’s more risky to do the same as everyone else than to stand out and make something bold. The Oscars showcase that taking creative risks yields recognition and success.

Insights from Animation

The 2024 Oscars in the Best Animated Film category promise an exhilarating lineup of diverse and visually stunning films. “The Boy and the Heron” by Hayao Miyazaki captivates with breathtaking visuals and emotive themes of loss and disruption, and mystical characters. This film captures the essence of Miyazaki’s unparalleled storytelling and GKIDS’ iconic artistry. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” captivates audiences with innovative animation styles and rich storylines. Pixar’s “Elemental” delivers a powerful narrative about young love crossing social divisions, and Netflix’s “Nimona” with its quirky 3D design proves that diverse characters and character-driven narratives pay off in animation. We can glean valuable insights from these animated masterpieces, understanding that visually striking and emotionally resonant storytelling can leave a lasting impact on audiences, and can certainly pay off.

Documentary Storytelling

The best documentary category is always one that we watch closely as a lot of our work is steeped in documentary principals. We’re very keen to watch all the nominations to keep our eyes open for the latest documentary storytelling techniques and we recommend Marketers do the same. “20 Days in Mariupol” stands out as a harrowing yet essential exploration of the war in Ukraine, promising an insider’s view of the Ukrainian war. The valuable takeaway lies in the power of authenticity and connection. Documentaries have the potential to forge a deep emotional bond with audiences, providing a unique opportunity to convey authenticity, purpose, and shared values.

The Obamas are producing some incredible movies through their production company Higher Ground. ‘Rustin’ is outstanding with a powerhouse performance from Colman Domingo who is nominated for Best Actor. ‘Leave the World Behind’ has been overlooked but in my humble opinion it’s one of the best of 2023.

The 2024 Oscar nominations underscore that fortune favours the bold. Original, fresh, and unexpected voices are breaking through the noise of an oversaturated content landscape. We look forward to not only an exciting slate of movies in 2024 but also to marketing managers embracing greater creative risks in their marketing and brand videos. This is a time for artistic risks and bold endeavours, and the Oscars serve as a beacon for those ready to chart new and exciting territories.

Author Bio

Adam Neale has been working in the video industry for over two decades. He has run multiple production companies and has received awards for his work from global film festivals along with a Vimeo Staff Pick and a Webby Award.