Why the Oscars “Shallow” Duet was a Brilliant Marketing Move

In “A Star is Born” Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga unite, bringing their raw talent to put a unique spin on a classic tale of discovering a star. At this year’s 91st Academy Awards, Cooper’s vision was recognized with eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and winning for Best Original Song. But this wasn’t what ultimately won over the hearts of millions. Their Oscars live “Shallow” duet was not only show-stopping and a musical masterpiece, but it was also an absolutely brilliant marketing move. Here’s why:

Creating hype using social media

When the Academy Awards announced on its Twitter account that the duo was going to perform their nominated number at the Oscars ceremony, it created a ton of buzz. With 100 million daily active users on the platform and its newsfeed-like nature, it was the best choice to make the announcement. It also gave The Academy the chance to incorporate social listening to gauge reactions on social media.

It didn’t stop there…

Following two hours of awards, the pair finally graced the stage, creating even more anticipation. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga surprised the audience by approaching the stage from their seats rather than backstage, sans introduction. It was shot entirely on stage, with the audience as the backdrop. Cooper and Gaga’s onstage chemistry was undeniable. Lady Gaga thanked Cooper in her acceptance speech:

“There’s not a single person on the planet that could have sang this song with me but you.”

Needless to say, viewers on social media went absolutely wild. Here were just a couple of Twitter reactions Variety posted:   

YouTube also collectively had hundreds of thousands of views of the performance through different networks. It also included user-generated content of fans’ reactions to the highly-anticipated performance. Being the second-largest search engine behind Google, this was quite impressive.

“Any press is good press”  

When former Spice Girl Mel B, speaking to Good Morning Britain, said she “felt uncomfortable” for Bradley Cooper’s girlfriend, Irina Shayk, due to the intimate (bordering on steamy) performance, it only garnered more publicity for the actors. Despite Cooper having a girlfriend, many Twitter users wanted the stars to kiss. It was later reported that the over-the-top intimacy was just for show.

Will the live show impact “Shallow” sales and downloads?

It’s too soon to tell, but it’s very likely that the single will see a major boost in sales and downloads in the coming days. This is the first time there has been a performance like this, so it will be very interesting to see how it affects the song’s sales and downloads, and how this performance affects the music industry as a whole. 

For those of you who missed the performance, you can check it out here:

Until next time!
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