The red carpet rolled out for the 98th Academy Awards at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on March 15. While the Oscars may not have been everyone’s glass of bubbly, the annual gift bag was still worth a closer look – not just for what was inside it, but for what it revealed about branded merchandise, cultural moments and strategic gifting.
This year’s “Everyone’s a Winner” gift bag, reported by E! News to be worth nearly $350,000, included luxury travel, beauty treatments, specialty food, fragrances, cannabis products and even a custom prenuptial agreement. The bag was curated for the 24th year by marketer Lash Fary of Distinctive Assets.
“This is something we do independently of the Academy with the intention of elevating small businesses, female-founded brands and minority-owned companies, and also because losing sucks,” Fary told Reuters.
Most marketers do not need anything close to a six-figure gift bag. But the Oscars tradition offered a useful reminder: branded merchandise gets attention when it is tied to the right audience, the right moment and a story people already care about.
The lesson was not to spend more. It was to choose better.
What can marketers learn from the Oscars gift bag? Strategic gifting works when the gift fits the audience, the moment and the story. The most memorable branded merchandise is not always the most expensive; it is the piece that feels relevant enough to notice, keep, use or talk about.
What Was Inside This Year’s Oscars Gift Bag?
The list was long, expensive and intentionally attention-grabbing. Among this year’s reported offerings:
- An Arctic villa stay in Finnish Lapland with Northern Lights viewing and a private chef
- Body-sculpting liposuction from Dr. Thomas Su
- Smile-makeover consultation and teeth whitening from Beverly Hills Dental Arts
- Facial rejuvenation from Dr. Konstantin Vasyukevich
- A custom prenuptial agreement from celebrity divorce attorney James Sexton
- High-potency cannabis products from RHYTHM
- The Jet Set fragrances from On The Nose Perfumes
- Vegan Cavi-art from PETA
- INSTYTUTUM skincare
- A “Movie Star” limited-edition fountain pen from BENU
- A gold-plated cold-storage cryptocurrency wallet from Ballet
The list went on from there. With dozens of items available, the bag covered just about everything celebrities could already buy for themselves.
That was part of what made it fascinating. The value of this kind of gifting was not based on need. It was based on timing, exclusivity, curiosity and association with one of the most visible cultural events of the year.
Why Brands Wanted In
For participating brands, the Oscars gift bag was not just a gift. It was a visibility play.
The recipients were high-profile. The event had global cultural relevance. The media coverage extended well beyond the ceremony itself. Even people who did not watch the Oscars could still click on a headline about a $350,000 gift bag with vegan caviar, luxury travel and a gold-plated crypto wallet.
That attention created a form of brand proximity. A product did not have to appear onstage to become part of the Oscars conversation. Inclusion in the bag gave participating brands a link to celebrity culture, luxury, entertainment and status.
But that did not mean every item worked equally well. A product could be expensive and still feel random. It could be unusual and still be forgettable. The strongest branded merchandise was not defined by price alone. It was defined by fit.
The Tax Catch for Nominees
Oscar nominees were not obligated to accept the gifts. In fact, many passed, thanks to good ol’ Uncle Sam.
According to the IRS, there is no red-carpet tax loophole. Because the items were given in connection with a professional role, they were treated as income. Whomp, whomp.
Other nominees may have missed out because some of the highest-value gifts were first come, first served. In the 2025 gift bag, a private flight and stay in Finland worth $48,000 was available to only one recipient, and just nine nominees could claim a three-night stay in a beachfront villa in Turks and Caicos.
You snoozed, you lost.
What Marketers Should Not Copy
The Oscars bag was entertaining, but it was not a practical model for most brands.
Most marketing teams are not trying to reach Oscar nominees. Most do not need luxury vacations, cosmetic procedures or ultra-premium novelty items to make an impression. And most should not assume that higher cost automatically creates higher value.
That is the risk of confusing spectacle with strategy.
Branded merchandise becomes clutter when it starts with the item instead of the audience. It becomes more effective when marketers ask sharper questions first:
- Who is this for?
- What moment are we extending?
- What would feel useful, wanted or meaningful?
- What does this item say about the brand?
- What should happen after the gift is received?
Those questions matter more than the price tag.
The Real Lesson: Relevance Beats Excess
Some of the most accessible items in this year’s gift lineup were far from six-figure luxuries:
- TruFru Strawberries: $7.27
- Song Survivor Party Game: $20
- SkinnyDipped Almost Bites: $21
- Chocolate-covered pretzels with gold crystals from Posh Pretzels: $30
- Señorita THC-infused non-alcoholic margaritas: $30
- HydroJug Traveler Water Bottle, 32 ounces: $35
- Watermelon Glow Pore Tight Toner and Toner Pads from Glow Recipe: $36
- Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen, SPF 40: $38
- Tea Forte Tea Assortment: $45
These items may not have carried the same shock value as a luxury villa stay, but they pointed to something more useful for marketers: branded merchandise does not have to be wildly expensive to be memorable.
It has to make sense.
A product tied to the right occasion can become part of the experience. A useful item can stay in someone’s routine. A thoughtfully chosen gift can signal that a brand understands its audience. A well-designed item can carry a brand forward long after the original moment has passed.
That is what separates strategic branded merchandise from merchandise chosen for attention alone.
What Marketers Can Take Away
The Oscars gift bag worked as a cultural curiosity because it combined fame, scarcity, surprise and spectacle. But the broader lesson applies at any budget.
Strong branded merchandise starts with audience insight, not product selection. It earns attention because it feels useful, wanted or meaningful. It works best when it extends a moment people already care about.
For marketers, the goal is not to add more noise. It is to create something they will notice, keep, use, share or remember.
That is one way merch moves: it can turn a cultural moment into something people notice, discuss, keep or remember. But the movement comes from fit, not excess.
The best gift is not always the most expensive one. It is the one that feels like it belongs.
