Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron: Oscars Appealing to Gen Y Audience

For those in the movie industry, the Academy Award is the most coveted and revered recognition of achievement — an exclusive club that often takes years to gain access to. Last night’s Oscars helped to changed that. A quick look at the presenters and attendees for last night’s show reveals that the Oscars are getting revitalized, shedding old Hollywood image for a more youth-centric focus. This new strategy could curb the declining awards show ratings and revamp it for a new generation.

Yesterday, presenters included young Disney stars like Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron, and actors Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart from the popular Twilight series. Though none of these young actors were nominated for an Oscar, their presence at the ceremony helped draw in that desired younger audience.

The Grammys made a similar move last month, by hosting live performances of the hottest artists in the industry. While 2009′s lineup featured a mix of old and young, 2010 was strictly youth, and it paid off. The Grammy telecast experienced a staggering 35 percent increase in viewers from 2009, to 26.6 million. In fact, it was the largest viewing audience for the Grammys since 2004. Although the Oscars can’t let go of its legendary stars, bringing in these recognizable stars is a good way to bridge the gap.

This year’s hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, may not be the heartthrobs of Gen Y, but they are also recognizable names and that members of Gens Y and Z recognize – Baldwin especially. His lead role on the NBC cult-favorite “30 Rock” is a ratings leader among Gen Y. This is also the first year the Oscars will feature two hosts, which seems to be part publicity stunt and part genius. By combining Baldwin and Martin, the show will most likely attract viewers and fans of both men, hopefully drawing in the coveted youth generations.

The second part of the Oscar revitalization equation — technology — needs to happen through social media. Many critics claim that the explosive growth in social media, Twitter especially, has helped to bump ratings over the past year. Mashable’s Christina Warren points out that, “In the age of social media . . . it’s less about talking about events that happen today tomorrow and more about talking about them as they are happening. In this regard, live events become that much more important to watch live, if only because that’s what the social web is collectively discussing.”

With Twitter, young viewers and fans can connect with their favorite stars and follow their every move. Around award show season, this perk is even more heightened with backstage photos and real-time updates that can’t be matched by even the most dedicated reporters. The Olympics experienced a similar phenomenon, with athletes tweeting throughout their Vancouver to engage their tech-savvy fans in the backstage Olympic experience.

Oscar organizers are on the right path, and have embraced social and digital media to hype this year’s telecast. This year’s nominations were streamed live through Facebook. They’ve also launched a free iPhone app, equipped with all the details on nominated movies and actors, as well as a handy prediction tool that allows users to share their top picks with friends via Facebook and Twitter. ABC News reports that although there wasn’t an official tweeter during the ceremony, Oscar.com aggregated tweets from attendees and those working behind the scenes, similar to how tweets from Team USA Olympians were captured on the NBC Olympics Web site.

Without the support and viewership of Gen Y, excitement surrounding the Oscar’s broadcast may fade in just a few short years. Right now, the Oscar committee is making the right move toward revitalizing their brand to capture a younger audience. In order to truly engage this generation and secure the Oscars’ future, organizers need to continue these efforts every year. They should find ways to tie together social media with their broadcast, and reach out to the leaders of Generations Y and Z in new and effective ways to promote the event even further.

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