By Nnaemeka Nwangene
The 97th Academy Awards was a showcase of collaboration in advertising. Five major brands—Carnival Cruise Line, Kiehl’s, L’Oréal Paris, ad-tech firm MNTN, and Samsung—came together to create a unique multi-brand campaign honoring the often-overlooked stunt professionals in filmmaking.
This move, facilitated by ABC (owned by Disney), highlights the evolving role of high-concept advertising in live events. It also raises an important question for Africa’s creative industries: What can we learn from this kind of collaboration, and how can it be applied to our own entertainment and marketing landscape?
The Power of Collaboration in Advertising
For the first time, multiple brands aligned their messaging around a shared theme at the Oscars. Each of the five companies ran a commercial featuring an elaborate stunt, with Samsung even doubling its presence by running two ads to promote its latest Galaxy smartphone. These commercials were created by over 150 crew members from two Los Angeles-based production companies, with professional stunt performers working in various capacities.
The campaign was not just about selling products; it was about telling a story. It highlighted the skill and dedication of stunt performers—unsung heroes of the film industry—while also contributing to Los Angeles’ local economy by employing talent from within the city.
For L’Oréal Paris, this marked a return to the Oscars after a six-year absence, while Kiehl’s, its 173-year-old subsidiary, made its national TV debut. The collaborative effort demonstrated how brands could pool resources to create something larger than any individual campaign.
Lessons for Africa’s Film and Marketing Industries
Africa is home to a rapidly expanding entertainment sector, particularly in countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. Nollywood alone generates over $1 billion annually and employs millions. However, the industry still grapples with structural challenges, including inadequate funding, fragmented collaboration, and an overemphasis on individual success rather than collective growth.
This Oscars campaign offers three key takeaways for Africa’s creative industries:
1. The Need for Industry-Wide Collaboration
One of Africa’s greatest challenges is the reluctance of brands, filmmakers, and advertisers to work together on large-scale projects. Unlike in Western markets, where competitors can collaborate for mutual benefit, many African industries remain siloed.
The success of the Oscars stunt campaign shows that cross-brand partnerships can elevate not just a single company, but an entire industry. African filmmakers, advertising agencies, and corporate brands should consider working together on large-scale creative projects that not only promote their businesses but also highlight important cultural and social narratives.
2. Storytelling Beyond Sales
The Oscars campaign was not just about selling products—it was about storytelling. It paid homage to the stunt industry and created an emotional connection with viewers. African brands and filmmakers must adopt this mindset, moving beyond traditional advertising to create compelling narratives that resonate with audiences on a deeper level.
For example, instead of only promoting telecom services, a mobile network provider in Africa could collaborate with filmmakers to produce a campaign celebrating the impact of mobile technology on rural communities. This kind of advertising builds brand loyalty while also addressing real social issues.
3. Investing in Local Talent and Production
One of the most striking aspects of this campaign was its commitment to using local talent. The production teams, stunt performers, and sound designers were all from Los Angeles, ensuring that the campaign contributed directly to the local economy.
African brands can learn from this by prioritizing local talent in their advertising and film productions. Too often, major campaigns are outsourced to international agencies, sidelining the wealth of talent available within the continent. By investing in African filmmakers, actors, writers, and technical crews, brands can not only create more authentic content but also strengthen the creative economy.
Africa’s Opportunity to Lead
This multi-brand campaign at the Oscars proves that advertising can be both commercially successful and culturally impactful. Africa has all the necessary ingredients—talented creatives, a rich storytelling tradition, and a rapidly growing consumer market. What is needed now is a shift in mindset:
African brands must embrace collaborative advertising rather than competing in isolation.
Film and marketing professionals should focus on storytelling rather than purely commercial messaging.
Local industries must invest in homegrown talent rather than looking abroad for creative solutions.