GLO Delivers Gift Bags to Hotel Rooms During TIFF with Many Conscious Brands

By Karen Bliss 9/15/19 | www.samaritanmag.com

A mirror image of the goodies in the Bask-It-Style TIFF gift bag — photo credit: Kennedy Pollard / Ryan Emberley Photography

For the past 11 years, Toronto’s GLO Communications has been assembling and delivering exclusive gift baskets to the hotel rooms of just 20 actors and other well-known names from Matt Damon to Sir Elton John during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which ends today (Sept. 15) after 10 days. The PR company calls the collection of goodies Bask-It-Style.

Quite by happenstance, many of the brands are either affiliated with a charity, have a health benefit or are environmentally-friendly. It’s just the way many companies are leaning these days.

“We always try to focus on cool new products,” GLO principal Jessica Glover tells Samaritanmag. “It's always nice when they have a charitable angle, but it’s not something we put a focus on.”

For example, accessory company Amber & Ash sells a phone case with proceeds going to Super Joey Foundation, helping families affected by childhood cancer; Newfoundland’s Indigena Skin Care donates to the local Children’s Wish; Monat’s Rejuvenique hair care is vegan; Oteas Canada is biodegradable, and Green & Black’s chocolate is ethically sourced.

“I feel over the years, more and more brands are becoming engaged in something that they're passionate about either a charitable cause that the owner or founder is involved with or giving back in some way,” says Glover.

The names of the actors are kept a secret until well past the event has ended because GLO has hotel partners that allow the deliveries.

Last year, the bags went to Olivia Wilde, Tatiana Maslany, Viggo Mortensen, Linda Cardellini, Octavia Spencer, Ali Mahershala, Ted Danson, Jamie Bell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessie Buckley, Gwendoline Christie, Frank Grillo, Margaret Qualley, Emilio Estevez, Gugu Mbatha-Ray, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Elle Fanning.

Bask-it Styles is a survival kit for talent when they come in,” says Glover. “We do like to highlight cool, trendy, new brands and it's always a bonus if they have a nice charitable connection as well because you never know with talent they might become aware of it and then become involved in that charity.

“With us, we're hearing more and more from talent that they're enjoying and connecting with the brands that we're presenting to them.”

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* Samaritanmag.com is an online magazine covering the good deeds of individuals, charities and businesses.