After a singular year, an
Oscars ceremony devoid of some its
usual glitz and glamour is set to take place this weekend. But, some
things will be the same as always:
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The
coronavirus has forced Hollywood to do without most of its
favorite rituals, including red-carpet premieres and see-and-be-seen power
lunches. On Sunday, the 93rd Academy Awards will be scaled back, with few
people allowed to attend in person and the lavish after-party scrapped.
But there is one beloved Tinseltown tradition that will not be
repressed: the gift bag.
It will take more than a pandemic — or an escalating
homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, or a nation in the throes of a social
justice revolution — to keep celebrities from laying their rightful claim to
free liposuction, designer skin creams, gold-plated cannabis vaporizers, “affirmation
candles,” vegan bubble bath and IV vitamin infusions. (Just text a number, day
or night, and a nurse will appear at your home or office to tap a vein.)
All of these items and many, many, many more will be offered to
Oscar contenders like Viola Davis, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen and
Leslie Odom Junior in the run-up to Sunday’s ceremony. Distinctive Assets, an
entertainment marketing firm, is offering a gift bag worth about $205,000 to
the 25 acting and directing nominees. Another player in Hollywood’s giveaway
economy is offering freebies worth $60,000.
“It should give all our nominees some good vibes and the hope of
a return to normalcy soon,” said Nathalie Dubois, chief executive of Dubois
Pelin and Associates (DPA) Group, a gifting operation that has vacations at Le
Taha’a Island Resort in French Polynesia to give away, among other luxuries.
In return, a tweet or Instagram post about each gift would be
appreciated.
“Everybody has been suffering the past year,” Dubois wrote in a
letter to nominees. “Some of these companies are really looking to gift you
their products and getting some promotion.”
She makes a fair point: It’s easy to snarkily write off
celebrity swag as ludicrous (guilty!), but the practice exists for a reason.
“Anyone who scoffs should sign up for a marketing class,” said
Lash Fary, the founder of Distinctive Assets. “Celebrities are the best brand
ambassadors in the world, and this is a win-win for everybody.” He added: “Jennifer
Lawrence doesn’t need to be paid
$20 million for a movie role, but that is the value the marketplace has given
her. It’s the same with gifting.”
Fary said all items in his gift bags came from companies that “embrace
diversity, inclusion, health and philanthropy.” This year, one of his more
modest giveaways, for instance, is a device that People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals bills as an “emergency hammer” that passersby can use to
break a car window if they spot a dog sweltering inside.
Nominees can decline the booty, of course. And items aren’t
totally free: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers gift bags income,
with the last crackdown in 2006.
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