The event, which has the blessing of the Writers Guild of America, will air that night on cable siblings TBS and TNT. Director Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" leads the film contenders, with four nominations.

Advertisers are especially keen to move in high-wattage company, with interest from such brands as MasterCard and L'Oreal.

"(Generally) there is talk of more people wanting to be around and to be participating in the SAG Awards," said Tom Julian, senior vp strategic director of trends at McCann Erickson New York, as well as the style voice for Oscar.com.

"They are truly credible, and they are sanctioned by the WGA ... That might be the first time where we see all those ... actors together and showing their face and supporting their craft. There are more heightened activities now around the weekend of the SAGs than ever before -- on-site integrated programs (and) everything from dinner sponsorships to charity tie-ins to insider events."

MasterCard will have two commercials airing during the SAG Awards and is involved in an integrated TNT Web tie-in. "MasterCard is huge fan of awards shows," McCann executive Mark Strong said. "The SAG Awards in particular offer a very high-quality audience for us."

Noted Ellie Williams, media director at GSD&M's Idea City, which handles media for MasterCard: "I won't say (the WGA strike's impact on awards season) affected plans too much ... Certainly these strikes have made us more aware of the placements that we are in. But given that SAG Awards is going to air as planned and live, it's a great environment for our campaign."

L'Oreal also is slated to air several spots during the SAG Awards. Subaru was also said to be advertising during the event.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter