You might think that actors that pull down millions of dollars per film would be the last ones to get excited about a few freebies. You’d be wrong. Even superstars are human, and who doesn’t like getting presents every now and then? The fact is, killer gift bags have become the sine qua non of any successful Hollywood event. And during awards season, the giving is practically endless. Expensive watches. MP3 players. Camcorders. Gourmet chocolates. They’ve all been tucked into Hollywood party bags.
Vendors fall all over themselves for the “honor” of giving their wares to the stars. Why? “Anytime a celebrity is seen using or wearing a product, that product’s image is really elevated,” says Karen Wood, whose company, Backstage Creations, puts together celebrity “backstage retreats” at major awards shows. Wood invites stars to visit the professionally decorated retreat areas, where they meet with representatives from luxury-goods companies, who are all eager to load them up with free products such as Palm pilots, Maurice Lacroix watches and Charles David shoes. Wood has a waiting list of suppliers yearning to participate in future giveaways. “The idea of getting your item to the celebrities is a marketing coup,” she says. “You’re putting your product in the hands of the most powerful promotion people in the world. It has a direct impact on your sales.”
So if there’s a holy grail of awards-season freebies, it has to be the official Oscar gift basket. A lucky group of 125 Oscar presenters and performers, as well as executives connected to the show, will receive the much-anticipated basket at rehearsals the week of the broadcast. Academy officials are keeping mum as to the basket’s contents. But NEWSWEEK has obtained a preview of the eclectic mix of goodies that presenters like Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts and Kirsten Dunst will be taking home:
A $1,400 Ebel watch in the “Classic Wave” design (that’s stainless steel with a white dial, in a men’s or women’s model, depending on the recipient)
A one-ounce bottle of JOY, “the world’s most expensive perfume,” being reintroduced into the market after a long absence
A Frette white terry robe with an American flag on the breast pocket
A black leather carrying case for cigar and flask, worth $228, by Piquadro of Milan
Tag Heuer Sport Vision Sunglasses, worth $235-$345
Hand-crafted scarves of silk and merino wool from Flying Fig, worth $300-$1,000
A gift certificate for a $350 Gaiam Meditation Chair made from kiln dried alder wood
CJ&Me handbags, in soft-textured fabric, not yet available in stores
A Loveletters Loungewear camisole
Gift certificates for a Brite Smile Whitening Treatment, worth $600
A gift certificate for a Tempur-Pedic mattress, worth $1,700
Birkenstocks
Flying Fig co-founder Jag Chadha is thrilled that her scarves will be in the Oscar basket, despite the enormous undertaking of providing 125 handmade items to the Academy. “It couldn’t be more of a tribute and honor to have our work included in the basket,” says Chadha. “The Oscars honor the people in the top of their profession. They understand what it is to make a thing of beauty.”
Some vendors, such as CJ&Me handbags, incorporated the Oscar gift basket as part of their official launch strategy. “My clients know how Hollywood works,” says publicist Lisa Elia. “We [could] get to the trendsetters with the bags.” Last fall, Elia called the Academy and found out where to send the handbags for consideration. A committee reviewed their entire line of samples. “It was somewhat secretive,” she says. Eventually, they got a call saying the bags had been accepted.
Elia scored a double success because she also convinced the Academy to include a gift certificate for her client’s meditation chair in the basket. Though an admittedly unusual gift-basket item, the chair makes sense, says Elia. After all, “Hollywood has always played an important part in making the meditation movement,” she notes.
Vendors whose products aren’t in the official Oscar basket are sending goody bags directly to the stars. Victoria’s Secret recently hand-delivered sets of $5,000 diamond and white gold bra straps, which can double as a necklace, to the best-actress nominees. Beverly Hills makeup artist Valerie Sarnelle is sending custom-made red suede “evening bags” filled with five red lipsticks to presenters and nominees. The kits, entitled “Winner Wears Red,” are meant as a “good luck charm,” says Sarnelle.
And if you’re not a movie star, not to worry. Wood’s company, Backstage Creations, has designed three special Oscar-themed gift baskets that “Entertainment Tonight” plans to give away on its Web site. The baskets, containing $3,000-$5,000 worth of goodies–such as diamond earrings and Versace vases–will no doubt make some lucky fan feel like a movie star. At least, until the next awards show.
