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It seems celebrities are swapping red carpets for gray.
In light of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, actors aren’t doing any project promotions, causing studios and streamers to scramble and turn to other marketing tactics for new releases. But the itch to attend awards shows is still there among some actors, based on attendance at this year’s Soho House Awards, which are…apparently a thing.
Compared to the social club’s inaugural awards show last year, there was a notable increase in A-list attendees at this year’s event, which took place last week. Celebs including Ayo Edebiri, Oscar Isaac, Paul Mescal, Daniel Kaluuya, and Emma Watson, who largely stays out of the public eye, were there. Sponsors of the event included Porsche, which recently announced a three-year partnership with Soho House, as well as Renais and Patrón.
While some people have questioned whether awards shows of this nature are a loophole or strike violation, the celebrities in attendance clearly attracted attention around the event:
The strikes are already having an impact on this year’s real awards season: The Emmys have moved from September to January, while the Governors Awards—a non-televised event for honorary Oscars—will take place in January instead of November. As of now, the Oscars are still set for March 10, though if the actors’ and writers’ guilds are still on strike, striking actors won’t be there.
Changes or delays to this year’s awards season could impact marketers, many of whom rely on events like the Oscars to bring in eyeballs. As Marketing Brew reported last year, the Oscars still bring in ample ad revenue for ABC, even as viewership has declined; in 2022, the average price for a 30-second spot was around $1.7 million, according to one estimate.