The race for the Best Picture statue wasn’t the only dramatic narrative playing out on Oscar night. Throughout the evening, viewers have been treated to a four-part mini-movie courtesy of first-time sponsor Prudential.
The custom campaign was orchestrated for the financial giant by Disney’s in-house creative studio, Disney CreativeWorks. (The Mouse House owns ABC and Hulu, the current network and streaming home of the Oscars, respectively.) Prudential eagerly gave the greenlight to the quartet of spots, which showcase the behind the scenes artisans—including a pair of set designers, a choreographer, and a film editor—responsible for the movie magic we can too often take for granted.
And in a high-concept touch worthy of its own Oscar, the ads weave together to illustrate how teamwork makes the Hollywood dream machine work.
“These four stories capture the true breadth of the connected story behind the camera that makes a film come to life,” notes Prudential’s chief brand officer, Richard Parkinson, sitting for an exclusive interview with ADWEEK alongside John Campbell, Disney Advertising’s senior vice president of entertainment and streaming solutions.
“It’s been a challenging beginning of the year for Los Angeles,” Parkinson adds, alluding to the devastating January wildfires that have had a chilling effect on Hollywood production. “We want to be part of celebrating the perseverance and dedication that defines the film community.”
Besides uplifting drama, Campbell says that the Prudential spots also offer something else that audiences seek from a great movie—surprise. As in, people may be surprised to see an insurance provider making a major advertising spend for the Oscars. “They are the entertainment Super Bowl,” Campbell notes about how Disney wooed Prudential into the fold. “It is the destination for innovative marketers to showcase their best and most creative work.”
According to Parkinson, “innovative” and “creative” are two words that Prudential wants to embrace as the company rings in its 150th year.
“The feeling we want to generate is, ‘Wow, I didn’t expect that from Prudential,’” Parkinson says with a laugh. “We want to show up in places where people can take a look at our brand and reappraise it.”
