The Academy Awards are airing this Sunday, March 10. And, like previous years, we’ve gotten a look into the gift bags that nominees like Paul Giamatti, Lily Gladstone, Martin Scorsese, and host Jimmy Kimmel, will receive courtesy of Distinctive Assets.
Distinctive Assets’ “Everyone Wins” gift bags are technically affiliated with the Oscars in an official capacity, as laid out in a 2016 trademark infringement lawsuit, but the bags are ever-present at the major awards shows. It’s just that the recipients won’t receive the products on site.
In addition to the lavish vacations and trips that these gift bags include anymore, there are products that relate to the promotional products industry, like personal care items, and food and drink products.
Here are some of the standout items from this year’s bag, according to The Guardian and Delish:
- A 3-D selfie figurine from dooplikit
- A tuning fork
- A 50th anniversary collector’s edition Rubik’s cube
- C60 Power Sugar-Free Tart Cherry gUmmies
- Eatable Poparazzi Luxe Popcorn Tin
- Fetcha Chocolates Awards Collection
- Posh Pretzels in a gold accordion gift box
- Schwank Portable Infrared Grill
According to Reuters, Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary said that only 25 people will receive the gift bags this year.
“We call it ‘Everyone Wins’ and we do this independently of the Academy, which means I get to decide who gets it, and it’s only the top acting and directing nominees,” he told Reuters. “That’s 25 people this year, and we also get to decide what goes in it, and it’s some fabulous stuff this year.”
That relatively small recipient pool makes sense when you take into account that gift suite is worth more than $170,000. The most expensive piece is a $50,000 trip to a luxury chalet in Switzerland.
But, even when there are unbelievable vacations on the table, and the recipients are some of the biggest celebrities on the planet, it’s cool that there’s still room for things like a Rubik’s Cube or some chocolate covered pretzels. Even when your promotion is meant to convey a high value or certain aesthetic, remember that there’s often room for fun, and that people are just people at the end of the day.
And now, my unsolicited choice for Best Picture: Barbie.
