Nothing says the word cowboy like the iconic actor, John Wayne. Honoring his legacy that provided endless inspiration, we were thrilled to explore our “country” side with the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary, creating custom gifts to give to their famous hosts, honorees, and event leaders for their annual fundraising gala. The custom wooden box with engraved logo set the tone for the Old West theme, opening to reveal a gourmet s’mores kit, campfire candle, John Wayne puzzle book and bourbon, and a genuine horseshoe from John Wayne’s hometown of Winterset, Iowa. These gifts appropriately nod to this icon’s fame in the country western genre with a high-end, luxury twist that the event demands. There’s nothing we love more than working with a theme that pushes us outside of our comfort zone, resulting in some of our greatest gifts yet.

2018:

There is no better honor than working with a client a second year in a row, validating our thoughts that we nailed it the first time. But there’s also no bigger pressure than raising the bar even higher, taking each gift to the next level and always keeping the client impressed and satisfied. We absolutely loved working with the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary on their donor gifts in 2018 and couldn’t wait to do it all over again in 2019. This year’s annual gala theme was “La Odisea”, a Tulum inspired Mexican fiesta in one of the finest hotels in Beverly Hills. To mix it up from the previous year’s box, we suggested a handwoven straw tote, the perfect accessory to a sunny day on the Yucatan Peninsula. Of course it didn’t end there – we added a pop of color to the bag with a bright coral tassel and filled the bag with all the essential goodies for the making of a fun, festive day in the sun. Some of the highlights of the bags included custom branded glass tumblers with the event logo paired with the signature Duke bourbon, a Tulum inspired scented candle, and a soft Turkish towel. Salud!