Body and Bath Product Line Kol Included in the Official 78th Academy Awards® Gift Basket

Kol was honored to have been selected for a third time by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to provide product for the Academy Award® telecast presenters and nominees.

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 6, 2006 –- Köl, a non-gender body and bath line that has been widely recognized for it’s “destination-based” products theme and its clean, innovative design, was honored to have been included in the 78th Annual Academy Awards® official gift basket. This was the third time the brand was asked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to provide product for the Academy Award® telecast. Presenters and nominees at the event will receive Köl body and bath products as well as the newly released El Maroc candle based on Citrus, Clove and Leather.

Academy Award® gift baskets are one of the highlights of the awards ceremony – this year’s gift basket valued at approximately $25,000. “This was quite a surprise to us,” said Andrew Brunger, CEO of KölDesign. “When we received the call asking if we would provide product to Academy Awards® presenters and nominees again, we couldn’t have been happier. Köl products have been well received by this audience in the past. It’s fairly common for a retailer to call and tell us that a celebrity has purchased a store’s entire stock of a favored Köl product.” Celebrities who use Köl product include Tom Cruise, John Cusack, Julianne Moore, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Tobey Maguire, Robin Williams, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Adrian Brody, Tim Robbins, Eugene Levy, Sean Connery and Sigourney Weaver.

“There are many celebrity gift baskets out there,” says Sally Brunger, the Chief Creative Officer of KölDesign, “but only one with the prestige of the Official Oscar Gift Basket. We know that companies and advertising agencies start preparing bids for the Oscar basket at least six months in advance. Köl has never approached the Academy, but every year since the Köl brand launched we have been asked us to participate. It is incredibly flattering and should be encouraging to other small companies out there doing something new and different as well.”

Presenters of the 78th Annual Academy Awards® include Jon Stewart, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Bana, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Salma Hayek, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Queen Latifah, Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep, Will Smith, Ben Stiller, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Lily Tomlin, Naomi Watts, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ziyi Zhang and Reese Witherspoon.

Nominees include Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, George Clooney, Matt Dillon, William Hurt, Judi Dench, Felicity Huffman, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Frances McDormand, Rachel Weisz, Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee.

All Köl bath products invoke a destination and are named after a destination. “We want to bring the best of the world to people,” says Andrew Brunger. “Every corner of the globe has something unique to contribute in terms of local fragrance or ingredients.” The Company offers four fragranced bath lines: “Curacao”, “Picnic”, “Bethlehem” and “El Maroc” as well as 6 Mix-Your-Own facials and scrubs. In 2006 Köl will expand its line of skin care products for men and women. New additions will include Köl Daily Face Wash w/ Alpha Hydroxy Skin Revitalizer, Köl Skin Freshening Mist w/ Vitamins C+A+E and Chamomile and Aloe Vera Extracts, Köl Facial Toner w/ Vitamins C+E and Köl Oil Free Daily Hydration Cream w/ Co-Enzyme Q 10 and Aloe Vera and Acacia Extracts.

“The exposure aside,” says Sally Brunger, “who wouldn’t enjoy coming into work in the morning to hear a sweet message from Sigourney Weaver? Or read a note from Robin Williams describing how much he enjoys Köl Scented Therapeutic Sea Salts? Or be told that Jack Black has canvassed the country buying up every unit of Köl Mix-Your-Own Coltibueno Face Scrub? It is the type of confirmation that makes all the challenges and all the hard work worthwhile!”

To see the entire Köl Body and Bath Line, please visit www.koldesign.com.

Please catch Köl in the March issue of International Men’s Vogue, the April issue of Vogue, on current re-broadcasts of Episode 121 of Bravo’s smash series "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and on NYC360.

Contact:
Sally Randall Brunger or Andrew Brunger
KölDesign
1.212.877.5591

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