The Oscars 2023 will once again provide gift bags worth $126,000 to nominees in selected categories, regardless of whether or not they win an award. That's almost ₹1 crore in Indian currency. So, what's actually in these "swag bags"? Well, they contain over $20,000 worth of beauty treatments, a $9,000 Italian escape, designer clothing, jewelry, short-term car leases, and more. The gift bags have been provided for the past 25 years by Entertainment marketing company, Distinctive Assets, owned by Lash Fary, who also provides gift bags for the Grammys.
This year, 27 people will receive gift bags, including nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and the host of the show, Jimmy Kimmel. If the nominees live in the US, the gift bags will be delivered to their homes, while those visiting will receive them at their hotels.
The most popular brands compete to have their products included in the gift bags. In terms of actual products, there's only around $5,000 worth in the bag. The rest are invitations and offers that have no monetary value unless used. Some of the included gifts reportedly include a $40,000 trip to a Canadian resort, $12,000 worth of liposuction, and $20,000 for aesthetic treatments like Botox and fillers. The gifts are not taxed unless they are used.
Other items in the gift bag include Havaianas flip flops worth $50, Faro Punta Imperatore worth $9,000, which allows the nominee and up to seven friends to stay in a lighthouse in Ischia, Italy. There is also Benigna Parfums worth $396, Frontera Wines worth $20, Opopop Popcorn worth $45, and a plot of land in Australia called Piese, which costs $425 and allows the nominee to become an Aussie Mate.
