Lavish swag is customary at major awards shows, but the nominees and host of Sunday’s 88th Academy Awards will be treated to an extraordinary array of extravagant gifts this year. Nominees for best actors, best actresses and best director, as well as the Academy Awards’ show host Chris Rock, can count on an “Everyone Wins” Nominee Gift Bag worth about $204,000, by Fortune’s calculation.
Last year’s Oscar gift bag was valued at $168,000, making this an 21% increase. The cumulative value of the bags this year will exceed $5.3 million -- and, at one point, it was even higher.
Initially, the 2016 gift bag was valued at $232,000, but after a lawsuit last week by the Academy of Motion Pictures against Distinctive Assets, the product-placement marketing company preparing the swag, at least one major prize -- a year’s worth of Audi A4 rentals worth $45,000 from Silvercar -- disappeared from the list. The Academy suit alleged trademark infringement, claiming Distinctive Assets was “falsely representing” its gift bags as being distributed by the Academy.
In its lawsuit, the Academy also characterized some of the items as being of a “less-than-wholesome nature,” including a $250 vaporizer that can be used for marijuana as well as e-cigarettes, a $250 sex toy for women, and a $1,900 "vampire breast lift."
Distinctive Assets says it has complied with a request last year from the Academy to be clearer that the gift bags have no affiliation with the organization, event, or award. Even so, after the lawsuit, the marketing company confirmed that “one of our clients did request to be removed,” but noted that over the past week, five additional clients had agreed to contribute to the bags.
Whatever the ultimate resolution of the legal tousle, and the bag’s final total, there will still be a passel of goodies provided to Rock and the winners and losers in the five most high-profile categories (best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best director).
Here are some of the gifts that truly top out the luxury category.
See original article on Fortune.com
Trip To Israel
Value: $55,000
Company: ExploreIsrael.com
Description: A 10-day tour for two people including first-class airline tickets, 5-star hotels, all meals and transportation, and a private security escort.