Jasmine Marjanovic landed a spot in the pre-Oscar celebrity gift room at the Avalon Hotel the night before the awards show, a party frequented by everyone from actors and directors to publicists and personal shoppers.
Marjanovic landed a spot in the pre-Oscar celebrity gift room at the Avalon Hollywood the night before the awards show, a party frequented by sports figures and actors from film and television.
Actors from list A through D will have a chance to try Cranberries Naturally’s Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly and Cranberry Mustard and take samples home in one of the Oscar week’s legendary gift bags. Big A-list stars are known to send assistants, or even their parents, to get the products.
One of Marjanovic’s customers recommended her rustic, local products to Pitcharoo Media Group’s Annette McArthur, who secured a placement for her at the party.
“The celebrities come in and see what they’re getting in their bags and I’ll be demo-ing my product,” said an effusive Marjanovic. “You get to have your picture taken with the celebrities and use [the pictures] forpromotions.”
The Oscar party is just the latest in a run of good news for the former newspaper designer and artist. She has been selling cranberry products from her Gasoline Alley store for 13 years and has developed her own line of dressings, soaps, honeys and condiments.
Whole Foods recently picked up her product line for its Canadian stores and may soon carry them in Washington State as well. Her goods are also available at Urban Fare, several specialty IGA stores, a handful of Save-On Foods locations and talks are underway with Choices.
“I’m flying high in a really good way,” she said. “But this is amazing, I’ve been watching the Academy Awards my whole life. It’s crazy.”
At the pre-Oscar party, the Cranberries Naturally line will be in the mix with about 60 other hand-picked products.
“They don’t just throw any old thing in there, you’ve got to be special and different,” she said.
The cost of participating in the event — fees for the event, travel expenses, decoration and product for tasting and in the bags — will easily top $5,000, said Marjanovic. “But this is one of those things that comes along once in a lifetime.”
This isn’t the first time the gift bags have had a B.C. contribution. Most recently North Vancouver jewelry maker Tiffany Haziza’s work was part of the celeb swag in the 2011 Oscars.
rshore@vancouversun.com
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