Some of Hollywood鈥檚 top actors and directors are getting a treat made exclusively in Quebec to sweeten their Oscar night victories 鈥� or make bitter losses a little easier to swallow.
Sagar, a fine, fluffy sugar derived from maple sap produced in the province, is one of the dozens of luxury goodies top acting and directing nominees are set to receive from Los Angeles marketing agency Distinctive Assets.
Though not affiliated with the awards ceremony, the company鈥檚 opulent 鈥淓veryone Wins鈥� gift bags have become a curiosity of the annual Oscars fanfare, successfully stirring media buzz and inspiring countless tabloid appraisals. In a February news release, Distinctive Assets teases a U.S. dollar value for the bags numbering in the six figures.
Agency founder Lash Fary serves as arbiter of gifts. He boasts on social media about his power to choose both the contents and recipients of the coveted packages.
This year, the Sagar Experience from Quebec maple producer 脡rabli猫re F. Carrier won his favour. Now, the likes of Danielle Brooks, America Ferrera and Mark Ruffalo are set to get a sample of the product worth around C$1,300, says Samuel Busque of Orion Suppliers, the company behind the Sagar Experience marketing campaign.
He said the concept for the sugar was to create a luxury item with international appeal rooted in Quebec history and tradition.
鈥淲e still find that in Quebec we don鈥檛 use enough of our exoticism and our products to explain and to show to the rest of the world how exclusive we are and what kind of luxury stuff that we can have,鈥� Busque said in an interview.
The Sagar Experience isn鈥檛 the kind of sugar Carey Mulligan or Ryan Gosling can simply dump in their morning coffee. Busque described it as a dish in and of itself with a cotton-like texture and faint note of maple. It is, indeed, a 鈥渨hole experience,鈥� he promised.
In addition to the Oscars gift bags, the product is the focus of chef-led workshops for guests at Quebec City鈥檚 Fairmont Ch芒teau Frontenac hotel this month. An online boutique for the Sagar Experience is also slowly rolling out, Busque said. Its first item for sale 鈥� 鈥淪weet Ritual,鈥� a package identical to the celebrity samples 鈥� appeared Saturday night. Busque said even more expensive bundles with accessories like hand-painted wooden boxes will also eventually be available.
For now, however, 脡rabli猫re F. Carrier owner Francis Carrier is just proud his product from Quebec鈥檚 rural Beauce region has made it to Hollywood.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful,鈥� he said in a phone interview Saturday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the most beautiful beginning we can have for our marketing for our product, which is really out of the ordinary compared to all the other maple products out there. We鈥檙e very proud to be at the Oscars precisely for that reason.鈥�
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Thomas MacDonald, The Canadian Press
