IT’S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS
Christopher Moltisanti from “The Sopranos” felt that if he couldn’t get Ben Kingsley to act in his movie, he should at least leave Los Angeles with something. He ended up tackling Lauren Bacall and stealing her gift basket as she left a luxury lounge.
While all luxury lounge experiences certainly don’t end up like that, nor are the gifts wrapped up in cellophane in a big basket, celebrities who attend big-time events do end up leaving with an assortment of products that vendors want them to try.
The MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday are no exception. Celebs will have a chance to own two pairs of limited edition Vans and create their own designs online. They can try out the new Burberry slim-fit boxers. They can don a new pair of Michael Kors sunglasses and a set of Isaac Mizrahi shoes.
Musicians will love the Dean Markley strings and trying out the new game, Rock Band, where players can pretend they are musicians in a cooperative rock band. Stanton even added a turntable that can plug into a computer and play MP3s and WAVs.
“When I do gifting, I think about the project. I skew toward the guys for the VMAs,” said Laurie Ziegler with Branded Entertainment Marketing, the company that puts together these gifts for celebrities. She’s worked with MTV’s Rock Honors, the Michael Jordan Golf Tournament, VH-1 Hip Hop Honors and the upcoming Oceana Charity Event honoring Al Gore to put together luxury packages that celebrities will remember.
Usually only one of each type of product line goes into the mix, so, in this case, coffee is supplied by Café Bustelo and shirts come from Roar Clothing. The Palms even ponied up a $2,000 stay in the Fantasy Tower and round-trip transportation, among other items.
Ziegler says that companies get in on the gifting action for the exposure. In this celebrity-driven market, that’s what matters to the masses. TiVo is even introducing its HD service and Rhapsody, an online streaming music service, at the VMAs by offering celebrities a lifetime subscription.
In some cases, celebrities end up walking through a lounge where they select what they want to take home with them, all at the price of a photo opportunity with the product. Ziegler’s philosophy differs. “I think a gift should be just that — a gift.” She will have a lounge set up with Belvedere vodka, cupcakes from the Cupcakery, makeup touch ups from Neutrogena and a chance to see the gifts that will be awaiting them when they arrive at home.
And while price might not be an issue, presenters, performers and winners can’t escape the tax man. This round of gifts costs $11,593.
