Actors and Small Businessmen get Connected at SAG SWAG Suites

By Jeffrey Jolson

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 1/26/08 — Just as the Screen Actors Guild Awards bring a little attention and glamour to talent the Oscars have missed, some of the more democratic gifting suites like Connected Gift Rooms provide an opportunity for small businessmen to get a little star dust sprinkled on the products.

And it couldn’t come at a better time as all actors in town are affected by the strike and who doesn’t like to do a little high-end shopping without those pesky cash registers?

Celebrity endorsements are multi-million dollars affairs, and most of the companies at the SAG Awards Gifting Suite at the Hollywood Hyatt Hotel could not afford even the legal talent it takes to swing a Nike or Pepsi endorsement deal. Instead the participant’s wares with baby clothes, booklights and bakeries, smaller companies from outside the Hollywood circles.

And so it was that stars like Scott Biao, Judy Tenuta, Ed Begley Jr., Andrea Harrison and Vanessa and Angeles Simmons got to do a little free shopping at the penthouse suite while the SAG nominees got to do the same at the L’Oreal Suites across town at the Four Seasons.

At Connected suites indies like Feather & Down Pillows, In-the-Dark stuffed Glow Bears, Lightwedge booklights and Slant barware could have a star hold up their products, and perhaps use it in their homes.

Our favorite was the Herbew-hipster fashion clothes, similar in some veins to the Ed Hardy-Monarchy designer urban prints. The t-shirts and such featured tattoo-like dragons and graphics but instead of the Gothic lettering preferred by gangs (and copied by haute couture to simulate street-cred) they use Hebrew characters that look just as cryptic and cool, but have messages of hope like love and honor. We intend to track down the local designer we can put him on Hollywood Today’s fashion pages.

Another product that reared its head was Poo-pouri, elegant-looking bathroom sprays that you spray on the toilet water before you poop so it never smells. Co-ed households should love this one. Also a cool quirk was POParazzi jewelry made from vintage bottle caps trimmed with rhinestones.

Others at the Sabirna Jones-promoted event included the Temecula Valley Wineries, cute baby clothes company Kidoodles and the innovative press-one eyeshadow company Color On Professional were there, as was Smooch Jeans whose bling hearts logo was designed by the fellow that did the Hard Rock Café logo. The Foundation Room’s Dorielle Hanyecz of The House of Blues was there too, which was founded by the same man, Isaac Tigrett, who started Hard Rock.

Another company there was Mor, who was handing out something very upscale looking in lotion-type bottles, though as with many booths, we didn’t get to see since we were just press, not actors. If only we’d taken drama class more seriously…

Some of the sights, sounds and stars follow.