USA: "Swag" fans find restraint at this year's Sundance Film Festival

Robert Redford chafes at the descent of what he calls "ambush marketers" on the celebrities attending the Sundance Film Festival he founded as a showcase for independent film without all the commercial trappings of Hollywood. But he may be encouraged by the latest trends in so-called "swag" on the sidelines of this year's event. Celebrity gift baskets, a phenomenon driven by companies' hopes that celebrities will be shown using their products, are becoming lighter and greener and just a bit more discreet. Still, companies see Sundance as a key opportunity to get their products into celebrity hands. The snowy charm of the Park City ski resort provides an ideal background for photos of stars and their products. "You can't beat the festival," explained Karen Wood, founder of the Backstage Creations Gift Retreat, set up this year on Park City's Main Street. "It is an amazing conglomeration of all types of celebrities coming in to one town at one week of time. It is a great mix of celebrities, because you have very well known A list celebrities and a lot of the more independent celebrities and these are the folks are a lot more accessible for our brands. Also playing the leading role in this new version of swag? None other than the tax man. Last year, months before the Academy Awards, the Internal Revenue Service launched a swag crackdown, putting Hollywood on notice that the 100,000 U.S. dollar-goodie bags for Oscar participants -- stuffed with Hawaiian hotel suites and surfing lessons -- were not gifts but rather compensation and subject to taxes. "The rule has always remained the same -- people have to pay their taxes. But the awareness of it, that has changed," said Wood. Wood assigned a tax adviser to her event at the recent Golden Globe Awards and has also moved to increase the charity presence to reduce the gift-bag tax burden. Another factor complicating the whole gift bag issue, is who gets in to get them. Woods said she actually has a person dedicated at Backstage Creations that keeps an up-to date list of celebrities they consider worthy enough.

ITN Source | January 31, 2007

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