After a stroll down the red carpet at Sunday’s Academy Awards, nominees like Steven Spielberg, Will Smith and Jessica Chastain will be taking home a piece of Vancouver thanks to an ace tip from a chiropractor to Hollywood stars.
“It was a very long, convoluted process,” said Dave Pasin, president and CEO of Vancouver-based Pink Solution Canada Corp.
His company, best known for developing plant- and mineral-based cleaning products, had been preparing to launch its new spot remover for clothing when Pasin thought of giving his uncle in L.A. a call.
“He's the chiropractor for the Clippers, and he does the Dodgers, and he does the Kings and he does a lot of movie people,” he said.
Pasin’s uncle quickly put him in touch with a vice-president at a large film studio.
Turns out the film executive was happy to point Pasin in the right direction, and after about six weeks and some chats with a few more people, the Vancouver CEO got the go-ahead by December 2021 to feature Pink Solution’s Jayde Spot Away inside the swag bags for this year’s Oscar nominees.
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While not officially sanctioned by the Academy, the "Everyone Wins" gift bags curated by PR firm Distinctive Assets LLC have become a mainstay every year owing to their pricey and eclectic nature.
This year’s US$100,000 gift bags, which will be handed out to 25 nominees, feature everything from stays in Scottish castles to “anti-aging serum.”
“We’re thrilled. It’s not often a local company gets in the swag bag,” Pasin said, adding the deal with the PR firm also sees Jayde Spot Away’s 15 ml bottles featured in gift bags for nominees at this year’s Grammy Awards.
“We're hoping that the people who use it will use social media, whether [it’s] TikTok, or Instagram or whatever the case may be, and get the word out there.”
He said the sustainable product ticked a lot of boxes for Distinctive Assets, especially considering they could have some utilitarian value if things got messy eating and drinking backstage.
The bottles function similar to a Tide pen and run for about $4 each, while the 500 ml refills go for about $10 each.
Pink Solution’s products are developed and manufactured in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood, where the company currently boasts a headcount of 10 workers.
“It's very difficult to get something in [Oscar swag bags],” Pasin said.
“You have to know the right people to be able to do it and it has to be a product that they think will add some value.”
