Oscar Mayer's cheeky jab at the Oscars
It is no secret that there is a major gender gap within the entertainment industry. It’s been seven years since the #OscarsSoWhite controversy began after the Oscars were strongly criticized for a lack of diversity in all of their acting categories. Although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science has made efforts to diversify the Hollywood film industry during the past years, the Oscar Awards that took place on March 27 served as an opportunity to remind people that disparities continue to exist.
Four days before the Oscar Awards ceremony, Oscar Mayer, a brand that is known for its meat and cold cuts, decided to participate in the conversation by unveiling a tongue-in-cheek campaign designed to draw awareness of the continuing gender disparities in Hollywood.
The campaign, which was called Keep it Oscar, strategically placed posters outside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, where the Oscars took place. These posters shared various facts such as, “You’re 46 times more likely to take home a director win if you have a wiener.” Not only is this statement humorous, but it is also an actual fact that gives into the shock factor.
Additionally, the brand’s iconic Wienermobile trucks drove within a 5-mile radius around the theater all weekend with “similar bold and cheeky messaging” and it also brought in a call-to-action that said: “See what we’re doing about it @OscarMayer.” This is a smart PR move on their part by using humor to call out not only the Oscars but the whole entertainment industry. That the fact that the brand shares a name with the event made their campaign even more eye-catching.
In addition to circling the area in the Wienermobiles, the brand also posted about its commitment to hire females to create at least half of its video content this year and moving forward.
“The truth is, gender disparity is a longstanding issue — not just in Hollywood, but worldwide. We hope to provoke conversation to drive meaningful change,” said Abby Allsop, Oscar Mayer’s senior brand manager of brand communications in an interview with PR Week.
Shockingly, in more than nine decades of the Oscars, only two females have won under the “Best Director” category while only four other women have been nominated. This speaks volumes about the lack of diversity within this industry. The two winners were Kathryn Bigelow in 2010 for “The Hurt Locker” and Chloe Zhao in 2021 for “Nomadland.” This is an incredibly sad reality that needs to be addressed.
How is it possible that in over nine decades, only two female directors have ever won under the “Best Director” category? It is time for women to be treated equally in the workplace and get the recognition they deserve.
By Marlise Sanchez
Marlise Sanchez was born and raised in San Diego and attends San Diego State University majoring in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations. She hopes to work in PR within the entertainment or beauty industry.