In addition to his direct and cutting contribution to the #OscarsSoWhite debate, Chris Rock’s other big message on the night was #GirlScoutCookiesSoGood as the host ensured blockbuster brand placement for the annual ‘Girl Scout Cookie Sale’.
The Oscars ceremony coincided with the final day of the National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, so Rock used his hosting role to ensure that the Girl Scouts Of The USA were the biggest brand beneficiary of the 88th Oscars telecast without spending a single dollar on rights or ads.
Mid ceremony, Rock announced that his hosting duties had taken him away from his family and his two daughters during Girl Scout Cookie Season and then asked the superstar audience ‘I want you to reach into your millionaire pockets, and I want you to buy some of my daughter’s Girl Scout cookies’.
A local LA Girl Scout troop then moved through the the Dolby Theatre armed with 400 boxes of cookies and sweets to sell to celebrities: eager buyers included Kate Winslet, John Legend, Matt Damon, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Christian Bale even Vice President Joe Biden.
Driven by a primed Girl Scouts social media team, cookie clips and pics of celebrities enjoying their cookies were tweeted and instagrammed through the ceremony – complete with links informing how consumers can buy their own Girl Scout cookies and contribute to the cause.
This is the ultimate way to enjoy the #Oscars…Find your #GirlScoutCookies here: https://t.co/1Ds6WhpmSj pic.twitter.com/WswtZlyhbW
— Girl Scouts (@girlscouts) February 29, 2016
Sweetest. Oscars. Ever. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/WTn44Jc20b
— Girl Scouts (@girlscouts) February 29, 2016
Of course, some of the stars also amplified the initiative through their own social channels – including Rock himself.
Biden gave me $20 for cookies… #Oscars pic.twitter.com/rCLbrNXIZI
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) February 29, 2016
Officially boxes sell for $4 each, but within 45 minutes Rock had re-assembled the troop on the stage to reveal that they had raised $65,243.
And for a final flourish, before the show closed, Rock gave the organisation a final name check from the podium while Morgan Freeman and Michael Keaton ate Girl Scout Thin Mints onstage.
Comment
Unlike the famous, Twitter record breaking Samsung selfie taken by Ellen DeGeneres in 2014 (see case study), the Girl Scout episode was not a paid for brand integration.
The organisation paid nothing to either broadcaster ABC or property owner The Academy.
Indeed, it was Rock himself approached the Girls Scouts two weeks before the ceremony.
‘He has personal ties to Girl Scouts, and he speaks really highly of the organization,’ commented said Stewart Goodbody, director of communications for Girl Scouts of the USA.
‘He felt it would be a great idea to do something fun and light-hearted and shine the light on something positive in this year’s Oscars telecast. And we think he knocked it out of the park.’
‘As with all funds that come in through the Girl Scout cookie program, they [the profits] stay local, explains Goodbody.
‘The girls actually decide how to invest their cookie funds, and we do know that this troop specifically, they’re really enthusiastic about doing a school supply drive for foster children. So we’re proud of them for supporting such an important cause.’
Data from Amobee Brand Intelligence shows that its Oscars appearance drove a total of 49,023 tweets around Girl Scout cookies during the telecast – ensuring that Girl Scout cookies gained more Oscars-related digital content engagement than any of the other brands that advertised around the awards ceremony (including those who spent $2m on 30-second commercials.
Links
Girl Scouts Of The USA Website:
Girl Scouts Of The USA Twitter:
https://twitter.com/girlscouts
Girl Scouts Of The USA Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsUSA
Girl Scouts Of The USA YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/girlscoutvideos
Girl Scouts Of The USA Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/girlscouts/
Chris Rock Website:
Chris Rock Twitter:
Academy/Oscars Homepage:
Academy/Oscars Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheAcademy
Academy/Oscars Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theacademy/
Academy/Oscars Tumblr:
Academy/Oscars Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheAcademy/
