The modern Oscar Campaign is a thing of beauty. Much more than “For Your Consideration” ads and glad-handing at Academy screenings, the modern Oscar campaign is about image, press resources, personal narratives, who’s “turn” it is and oh, yeah, the best performance. The past half-dozen years of Oscar campaigning have elicited enough gossip to keep the tabloids in business for a decade. There was the rumor that Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon’s marriage only stayed together in 2005-6 for sake of her 2006 Walk the Line Oscar campaign. Oscar firmly in Reese’s hand, the marriage died. Also, in 2006, Geroge Clooney found campaigning for Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana so unseemly that as soon as an Oscar was resting in Casa de Clooney, George began advocating for Darfur as way to improve his “karma”.

It is into this public relations muck that Brad and Angelina will try to get their duel Oscar nominations this awards season - him for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, her for Changeling. This is actually not the first time (in their history together) that Brangelina has run an Oscar campaign. In the past two awards seasons, they ran stealth campaigns - him for 2007 Best Supporting Actor for Babel, her for 2008 Best Actress for A Mighty Heart. Both failed to get the Oscar nominations, but it wasn’t a total loss. Brad garnered 2007 Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards while Babel got a nomination for the Best Picture Oscar. Angelina was nominated this year for a Globe, a SAG, a Critic’s Choice and an Independent Spirit Award.

So what has changed? Does The Academy hate Brangelina? Did “badass” girl pilots, African orphans, French chateaus and the whiff of ZOMG Homewrecking destroy their chances of ever receiving another Oscar nomination? Or does a campaign of beautiful twin babies, hit movies, a happy mother-in-law and the stamp of approval from Oscar-approved living-legend Clint Eastwood change the Academy’s minds?

Damn. The Brange is campaigning HARD for this one.

…LA premiere of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Big grins on the red carpet, lots of family love, finally dismissing rumours of a rift between the parent Pitts and the Jolie, all in service of Brad’s Oscar hopeful…Benjamin Button needs momentum.

So the Brange, they did their best to deliver.

Angelina was downright exuberant at the premiere. Happy, giddy even, and beautiful yes, even with that weird waxy sheen she’s been rockin’ on her face lately, and that dress that made her bulgy in awkward places.

Am told the two were very loving and affectionate, lots of little giggles in between poses, long meaningful glances, he’d rub the small of her back now and again like a habit, they’d both make sure everyone was watching.

Turn up the sales pitch, it’s time to sell.

[From Lainey Gossip]

Another factor in the Oscar campaign that often goes unspoken is ratings. The past two Oscar ceremonies have been two of the lowest-rated shows in the history of televised awards ceremonies. No surprise, because there was a distinct lack of both big-name celebrities nominated and of big-tent hit films vying for Best Picture. Perhaps if the Academy nominates the late Heath Ledger, Brad, Angelina, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and/or Anne Hathaway (all of whom had hit films this year) the audience will come.

Oscar nominations will be announced in January.

Photos are from the Benjamin Button premiere on 12/8/08. Credit: WENN