Towards the end of February, on the 26th, the mother of all film awards ceremonies will kick off at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) make ready to hand out Oscars to the worthy for the 89th time. There are 24 categories to be fought over by scores of nominees, many of them having built up impressive win records in recent awards ceremonies – Golden Globes, People’s Choice, BAFTA, and so on. From multi-nomination heavyweights like “La La Land” to niche flavors like “Rogue One” and “Moana”, they’re all there to compete and only some will win.
But Distinctive Assets, a separate private endeavor seeks, to assuage those unfortunate ones who won’t make it in the Academy Awards; they’ve been doing so for several years now, and this 2017 their “Everyone Wins” special package for Oscar nominees has ballooned in worth to “six figures”.
They’re not 'gift bags'
If you ask Lash Fary, founder of high-profile marketing firm Distinctive Assets and curator of the “Nominee” special package, they really shouldn’t be considered “gift bags”. And contrary to now popular belief, these bags of goodies aren’t given out to every single nominee, just the ones for “Best Director” and all four major acting categories. In this Academy Awards, that amounts to 25 who will receive the “Everyone Wins” package.
Not that it’s stopping nominees from outside the chosen categories from calling up Fary and asking about the bags, the contents of which are said to run up to six figures.
But what’s in them, you ask? Well it’s got the gamut of little trinkets and gadgets that are all the rage in Hollywood today, or so say Distinctive Assets.
Inside each bag are a Big Dipper-shaped pendant-brooch set from Namira Monaco (inspired by the stars), a Haze Dual V3 vaporizer (e-cigarette), a pack of Dandi underarm sweat patches (better than deodorants when wearing sleeved clothes) and cellulite massage mats from Sweet Cheeks. Most of the other contents are probably pieces of paper – gift certificates that is, enabling the bearers to stay at several swanky accommodations or special services.
We’re talking a stay at the Grand Hotel Vittoria in Italy (with a view of Vesuvius), a deluxe treatment at the Golden Door spa, another stay at the Koala Landing Resort in the south shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, a sommelier service from Lelañea Fulton’s The Loving Somm in New York…you get the picture. Nothing but the best for the best Academy Award nominees.
Veteran gift-givers
Lash Fary says that Distinctive Assets have been giving away these nominee grab bags at the Academy Awards for 15 years now, after he got the idea of giving nice things to nominees who don’t get an Oscar. The stars do seem absolute receptive of these “consolation” grab bags, especially given how steep the costs have gotten. Last year’s awards have the goodie-bags valued at $200,000 a pop. That’s six figures, the same as for this year’s “Everyone Wins” package, but Fary’s 'keeping mum' at the price range this time.
