The viral Oscar Selfie posted by the host Ellen DeGeneres with A-listers – Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, etc. was actually part of Samsung’s $20 Million advertising campaign to promote the Galaxy Note 3, the phone that took the photo.

Samsung Electronics Co. is one of the major sponsors of the 2014 Oscars.  The company sponsored the Green Room at the Oscars and according to Architectural Digest, the company created a massive video wall composed of 86 televisions, smartphones, and tablets. Also, AdAge said that it bought five minutes of airtime. However, the brand’s biggest exposure was when Ellen DeGeneres initiated a selfie using it. 

The stunt may have looked spontaneous but it wasn’t entirely unplanned. Days before the show, Ellen DeGeneres decided she wanted to take “selfies” during the show and ABC suggested she use a Samsung since it was a sponsor.