Oscar ad prices highest in 5 years - and it's a sellout

Each 30-second spot is going for up to $1.8 million as advertisers look to Oscar night as a kinder, gentler version of the Super Bowl. It's a chance for non-macho brands like Neutrogena and J.C. Penney to stand out during what's typically the highest-rated entertainment program of the year - and one of the few TV extravaganzas that manage to break through the fractured patterns of television viewing. Some advertisers are rolling out new campaigns. From the NYT:

For many years, the Academy Awards was heralded as "the Super Bowl for women" until gains among female viewers put the Super Bowl ahead of the Oscars in total women watching. Still, the Academy Awards usually draws the most female viewers of any entertainment show. "A good portion of our target is women," said Michael Fischer, chief operating officer at Coldwell Banker Real Estate, which will advertise during the Oscars for the first time with a commercial, by Siltanen & Partners in El Segundo, Calif., that is narrated by Tom Selleck. The commercial offers "a heartfelt, emotional message," Mr. Fischer said, so "the content fits with the show." He said being an advertiser during the Academy Awards "helps us be out in front of the spring selling season," a crucial period for a real-estate firm.

Photo: Chobani Greek yogurt is a first-time sponsor.