Hawking Products Before the VMAs

Overstuffed celebrity gift bags may be a thing of the past as retailers are taking more aggressive approaches to marketing their wares to the stars. When a major event like the MTV Video Music Awards attracts throngs of celebrities to the city, marketers jockey for optimal product placement in the hopes that their stuff will catch the eye of Beyonce, Britney or Justin. For this year's VMAs, PR firm People's Revolution invited a guest list of celebs in town for the awards to Sanctum, the new bar and lounge inside the Tribeca Grand Hotel, where they were given mini spa treatments and the chance to shop for freebies. The event followed a similar event at the MTV Movie Awards at the Sunset Marquis Oasis hotel in Hollywood.
Co-sponsored by Stuff magazine, the event hosted brands from Swatch and Mavi Jeans to crunchy food companies like Akasha's Organic Kitchen and Organic Valley Family Farms. Masseuses from SoHo spa Haven offered guests hand massages, Equinox therapists gave back rubs and M.A.C. makeup artists offered makeovers. While none of the aforementioned stars showed up, members from the Black Eyed Peas did borrow a few pieces from Ecko's racks of clothing to wear to the awards.

—Suzanne Ito

Read more coverage of the MTV Video Music Awards after-parties...