The University of Southern California's Annenberg Innovation Lab has conducted a groundbreaking social sentiment analysis of the 2012 Academy Awards race. The project, in collaboration with IBM and the Los Angeles Times, illustrates how organizations and brands — from media & entertainment, retailing, sports, and politics — can apply advanced analytics tools in order to learn and report on new trends.

As it has done for the past three Academy Award ceremonies, jcpenney will hit the Oscars red carpet by promoting its recent "brand refresh," showing off that it's had a little work done (new logo, single-monikered lowercase name) and is making a comeback in true Hollywood fashion.

New brand face Ellen DeGeneres will be featured in five 30-second commercials (watch "Changing Room" above and a sneak peek at others set in the Wild West, Victorian England and ancient Rome, below) that will air in North America during ABC's telecast on Sunday night.

Other brands debuting new campaigns at the 84th annual Academy Awards include Hyundai's new Wes Anderson commercials, and a glamorous spot for the sixth-generation SL roadster by Mercedes-Benz.Continue reading...

Hulu will air its first TV commercial on ABC during the Oscars telecast Sunday night. Starring one of the channel's own stars, Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives, it touts Hulu Plus and brings back Will Arnett, whose character was introduced during the Super Bowl — and whose Up All Night airs on NBC.

Expanding on its Super Bowl Game Day campaign with America's animated icons that picked up at the Grammy Awards, MetLife will run the spot above ("5 Cents") during the Oscars telecast on Sunday night.

The old gang (the Peanuts crew, featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and Woodstock) are shown sitting in a conference room being pitched on an insurance deal that they know they can do better on, reiterating the brand's new tagline: "MetLife. I can do this."

Diet Coke, as one of the sponsors of the 84th annual Academy Awards, will debut "Credit," a commercial on ABC on Sunday that celebrates the behind-the-scenes heartbeat of Hollywood: the unsung heroes, such as the writer who crafts a great screenplay, the stunt performer who puts the action in "action movie," and the sound effects artist who creates memorable audio experiences for the big screen. Check it out above.

Like one-third of the Super Bowl advertisers this year, Tide is partnering with Shazam in a first for a P&G brand to offer a free download of a tune: Savoir Adore's cover of Men Without Hats' Pop Goes the World, a nod to the new Tide Pods tagline, "Get ready to pop your laundry." The yet-to-be released commercial will debut during the Oscars telecast on ABC Sunday night.

Find out more about how the dissolvable detergent packs work below.Continue reading...

Hyundai has tapped director Wes Anderson for two of its seven 30-second spots that will premiere during the Oscars telecast on Sunday. All seven spots once again feature Hyundai America brand voice, Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges.

"Talk to My Car," above, promotes (in Hyundai's words) "the idea that you can talk to your car is no longer fantasy or science fiction, thanks to Hyundai's Blue Link. This innovative technology makes driving safer, easier and more fun. By keeping your 2012 Azera connected at all times, Blue Link can help you find a gas station or a shortcut, learn about mechanical issues, get regular maintenance alerts, call for help and even find you a great Italian restaurant nearby."Continue reading...

Mercedes-Benz has bought a prime-time slot during one of the most-watched television events on the planet — the Academy Awards ceremony — with the commercial above premiering during Sunday's Oscars telecast on ABC.

The minute-long spot touts the sixth generation SL with, appropriately, a vintage nod to the model's storied history, from the 1950's SL roadster through to the 1960's and so on to the latest iteration, the 2013 model, which passes them all on a soft-glowing sunny California day.Continue reading...