Oprah’s Most Memorable Giveaways - From Spanx to Pontiacs
Diamonds, cars, newfangled undergarments—over the years, Oprah Winfrey has given away hundreds of extravagant and occasionally quite weird gifts to her audience members. Her hysteria-inducing “favorite things” episodes have launched products and boosted her ratings. Knowing how excited her audiences could get when she surprises them with gifts, Oprah is known to keep medics on hand to respond to any swag-induced fainting spells. As Oprah readies for her final show Wednesday, take a look through 10 of her most memorable giveaways.
Photograph by Thomas Cooper/Getty Images.
Free Pontiacs, 2004
In September 2004, Oprah went where no talk show host had gone before, giving all 276 members of her studio audience cars. “It’s one of the great promotional stunts in the history of television,” Frank Brady, chairman of the mass communications department at St. John's University in New York," told USA Today at the time. Audience members, of course, went wild ... until they learned that they’d have to pay $7,000 worth of taxes on their new Pontiac G6s.
Photograph courtesy Oprah.com.
Spanx, 2000
Though not as extravagant as some of her other gifts, in 2000, Oprah gave a gift that would change women’s bodies—and red carpets—forever: a new footless body slimming undergarment called Spanx. Back then Spanx was just an experiment, produced in the apartment of 27-year-old Sara Blakely. Oprah’s endorsement of the product helped turn it into a household name—one that made $100 million dollars over the next 10 years.
Screengrab from Oprah.com.
Burberry Coat, 2005
Does it seem weird to give heroes from New Orleans posh clothes from Britain? Does it matter when the free coat is valued at nearly $700? The Hurricane Katrina volunteers that filled the “favorite things” audience in 2005 also received Hope in a Jar, a moisturizer from Philosophy. (Note: The coats in the Burberry ad here are more recent designs.)
Burberry ad.
The Oprah Sweater by Ralph Lauren, 2005
Over the years, many designers have named products after Oprah—partly to honor her and partly to cash in on her unparalleled marketing power. In 2005, Ralph Lauren designed a cashmere sweater just for Oprah, which she in turn gave to her audience. Oprah, who was asked to select the color of the design, drew her inspiration from “a golden sandy beach and her cocker spaniel Sadie” according to Oprah.com. This is the latest variation of the Oprah, available on Ralph Lauren’s website. "This is great for your home, and great for you," Oprah declares of the $498 sweater and $595 matching throw on her Web site.
Courtesy RalphLauren.com.
A Big Wad of Cash, 2006
In 2006, Oprah took a different tack and simply handed her audience credit cards valued at $1,000. Lucky recipients were also given camcorders and asked to record a good deed. Hilarity ensued.
Screengrab via Oprah.com taken from favorite things mashup video.
Sparkle Uggs, 2010
2010 was a sparkly year in Oprahland. Audience members received glittery Uggs fit for a Barbie princess. Normally more inclined to gift more-sedate items of clothing, the Uggs spurred some to question Oprah’s taste.
Courtesy Oprah.com.
Cruising with a diamond-encrusted watch, 2010
To screams from the audience, Oprah ripped off her outerwear during a segment on meditation in 2010, revealing her Santa Claus reds underneath. She then gave away a long list of items, including a watch encrusted with 85 diamonds and a seven-day Caribbean cruise.
Courtesy Oprah.com
Volkswagen Beetle, 2010
The faces inspired by the news that everyone in the audience would be receiving—eventually—a 2012 Beetle were worth the sticker price. This time, the show even figured out how to cover the taxes.
Correction, May 25, 2011: This caption originally misspelled Volkswagen.
Photo by Newscom.
Julia Roberts’ Herb Rub, 2011
Ask two of the highest-paid movie stars in the world to share their favorite things and surely you’ll get some fancy goods. Or so you’d think. Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks left audience members disappointed when they picked herb rub (Roberts) and an espresso maker (Hanks) to give away. “Julia Roberts is such a cheap-ass. I can’t believe the crap she gave away on Oprah,” was a typical Twitter reaction, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
