Eddie Redmayne Poses with a Kitten

OK, there's Oscar campaigning, and then there's Oscar campaigning. Eddie Redmayne, who's favorited for a nomination in the Best Actor category for his star-turn in The Theory of Everything (he's already got the SAG nomination under his belt, along with co-star Felicity Jones), recently did a photoshoot with the UK outlet of Harper's Bazaar that falls decidedly into the Oscar campaigning camp of ultra-effective promotion. Even though he needs very little assistance in the adorableness category, the actor upped the ante in a major way: Eddie Redmayne posed with a kitten. I mean, that's not even fair.

Have you ever heard anything better? This is better than Natalie Portman's pregnancy during her Black Swan campaign, better than Bradley Cooper's serious uphill battle vs. Daniel Day Lewis, and it's certainly better than Anne Hathaway's disastrous cocktail of weight loss woes and high-profile flashing. Nope, Mr. Redmayne has discovered the secret to making awards season waves, and it's all about the supporting players, namely ones who happen to be both fluffy and aww-inducing.

Only time will tell if this actually wins him the Academy Award (it's going to be tough going in his category with Michael Keaton, Benedict Cumberbatch and Steve Carell also in the mix), but either way it's an algorithm to remember: Eddie Redmayne + tiny kitten = all-around adorable. Let's take a look:

Come on, give the man a statuette!

Images: Getty Images; bazaaruk/Instagram