The 2025 Oscars: A New Era of Strategic Brand Marketing and Unconventional Campaigns

2nd March 2025

Oscars 2025: How Bold Marketing Took Centre Stage

The 2025 Oscars weren’t just about celebrating film—they showcased the power of innovative marketing. This year, the campaigns behind the films were as headline-worthy as the winners, with indie distributors and major studios alike pushing creative strategies to capture attention.

Anora’s Disruptive Campaign

One of the biggest stories was Anora, Sean Baker’s provocative drama, which defied expectations both in storytelling and marketing. Distributor Neon went all-in, spending $18 million—three times the film’s production budget—on a campaign targeting Gen Z with a DIY, grassroots approach. A one-day-only pop-up shop in an auto repair yard on Melrose Avenue saw fans queuing for hours to grab merch with bold slogans like “Stay jealous, babe!” and “Fuckin’ Cinderella.” This unconventional strategy paid off, propelling Anora to Oscar success and highlighting how authentic, fan-driven marketing resonates with today’s Academy voters.

Indie Distributors Go Beyond Traditional PR

Neon wasn’t alone in thinking outside the box. A24, backing The Brutalist, took a more niche approach with limited-edition merchandise, including T-shirts and a model of the architect-designed community centre from the film. Meanwhile, A Complete Unknown, a Bob Dylan biopic, leaned into luxury partnerships—offering a $1,200 Levi’s suede jacket and a $12,895 Triumph motorbike, as well as a custom cocktail with Dylan’s whiskey brand, Heaven’s Door.

Even Conclave, a film about Vatican politics, found itself at the centre of a marketing moment. Though it had no official merchandise, unofficial retailers capitalised on its buzz with T-shirts branding the cast as a “messy bitch convention”—showing how irreverence and fan culture can drive engagement in unexpected ways.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

The biggest lesson from this year’s Oscars? Authenticity and fan engagement are more powerful than traditional PR. Films like Anora proved that bold, unconventional campaigns can punch above their weight, turning indie films into cultural phenomena. With the Academy’s evolving demographic, expect even more disruptive, audience-first marketing strategies leading up to next year’s awards.