Think about some of the biggest names in the acting business–Harrison Ford, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman. If these stars appeared in a movie wearing a watch, what brand would it likely be?
If you guessed Rolex, you’d be right, and the watch brand recently capitalized on its (subtle) place in these actors’ most iconic movies with a 60-second commercial that aired during Sunday night’s Academy Awards.
“Celebrating Cinema” showed clips of various actors and actresses wearing Rolex watches during memorable scenes in well-known movies, including one of actor Bill Paxton, who died Saturday following complications from surgery, in the 1997 smash hit “Titanic.”
According to Hodinkee, most of these actors haven’t had a “commercial relationship” with the brand, meaning they weren’t paid to wear them in the films.
While Rolex did not respond when asked about this statement or if this was the brand’s first Oscars commercial, it is known that this was the first year Rolex served as an official sponsor of the Academy Awards.