Inside this year's Oscar goody bags: $1m of disaster relief, spliffs and a reimagined backgammon experience

The Guardian

26-02-2025

On Sunday, the Oscars take place after the devastating California wildfires which killed at least 29 people, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate and destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures last month.
In light of the tragedy, Distinctive Assets, the marketing company behind the goody bag handed out to this year's acting and directing nominees at the Academy Awards, has tweaked its offerings, with key inclusions reflecting the disaster.
'While our gifts may be famous for being fun and fabulous,' said Lash Fary, Distinctive Assets's founder, 'they also serve as a means to elevate small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs and companies that give back. This year, on the heels of the historically tragic LA fires, we have found even more ways for our celebrity swag to do good in our community.'
The highest-priced item on offer in the bags is more than $1m worth of personalised disaster recovery services from calamity management outfit Bright Harbor, which can be used by the recipient or gifted by them to someone who might be able to make better use of it.
Celebrities who lost their homes in the fires include Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Joshua Jackson, Anna Faris, Ricki Lake and Cary Elwes. It is not believed any of the nominees, who include Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Demi Moore and Ralph Fiennes, were victims of the fire.
There is also the offer of complimentary home renovation project management from Maison Construction, plus three different cannabis products, including a packet of pre-rolled spliffs from Dogwalkers, which aims to provide pooch-owners with an easy hit when their mutt requests an outing.
Canine companions are also catered for with sustainable luxury dog wear and toss pillows from Cate Brown Studio; they can also try out Peta's custom 'Let Monkeys Swing Free!' portable hammock.
Other items in the bag include the opportunity to escape on assorted holidays, including short breaks in Barcelona, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
A three-month Ancestry World Explorer membership comes with a DNA testing kit. A-listers can also choose between membership in the Hollywood chapter of the Illuminati or a private live show from mentalist Carl Christman.
Along with a wealth of skincare and wellness projects comes Helight's Nasa-inspired red light sleep therapy plus ArtLipo body contouring procedures with Dr Thomas Su.
Once appropriately relaxed, celebrities can enjoy Gammn's 'reimagined backgammon experience' or leaf through one of three books in the bag. The literature this year comprises a $950 'immersive multi-sensory coffee table' book about Iceland and Bryan Bishop's memoir, Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me.
Bookworms can also enjoy – perhaps with a view to future film adaptations – 'international bestselling author' Samantha Skye's new romance novel Tanner.
'My new neighbour happens to be the grumpiest billionaire in Whispers,' explains the blurb, 'but his gravelly voice and golden brown eyes make this city girl weak at the knees.'
The story's plot involves the female narrator inheriting an old rural farmhouse after losing her job and fiance in close succession. She then meets her new neighbour: 'startling good looking, yet much older … as his eyes linger a little longer and his words take new meaning, even the massive age gap is not enough to stop us.'
Distinctive Assets has no official association with the Academy Awards, and it is understood contributors to its bag pay a fee for inclusion.