oprah

Oprah Winfrey Introduces and Gives Away 2012 VW Beetles

The Oprah Winfrey Show's annual "Ultimate Favorite Things" shows have become TV ratings catnip for advertisers, and Volkswagen today, November 22, joined the parade of brands trying to get a boost from the talk-show diva.

The German automaker used part-two of the program to introduce its 2012 New Beetle vehicle by having Oprah driven on stage in one chauffeured by Santa Claus. In addition, all of Oprah's audience members were given keys to claim their own New Beetle when it is available next summer. The total cost of the program to VW is estimated at about $7 million to $9 million.

It is ironic that VW chose the Oprah show to introduce the vehicle (only an outline was visible to audience members and TV viewers) because VW executives have said for the past year that it is hoping the new more chiseled design would appeal more to men. More than 70% of New Beetle buyers for the last decade were women.

The last New Beetle, which went out of production in 2009, had a much softer, more bulbous look that did not appeal to men very much. The roof-line of the new version is a closer homage to the original Beetle.

The New Beetle--a descendant of the iconic Beetle, which many consider the most significant vehicle of the 20th Century--is a very important model to Volkswagen. The first New Beetle, which debuted in 1994 at The Detroit Auto Show as "Concept One," and then went on sale to the public in 1999, saved Volkswagen of America from having to abandon the U.S. market for want of sales and customers.

The German automaker is amidst an aggressive growth plan in the U.S., and is counting on publicity around the latest iteration of the Beetle idea to help drive the lesser known models in the showroom.

The 2012 New Beetle will look very similar to the VW "Ragster" concept introduced at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show (pictured here).

Tags: New Beetle, oprah, Oprah Winfrey, Ultimate Favorite Things, Volkswagen

United Airlines Creates Oprah-Themed Plane To Celebrate Her Final Season

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

It bears her signature but the plane shown above isn't Oprah's personal plane, it's a special Boeing 757 from United Airlines. The company had the plane painted to honor Oprah Winfrey and the final season of her popular talk show.

The aircraft is newly painted with Oprah logos on the nose, tail and the body of the plane (a time-lapse video of the painting is after the jump). Inside, the plane has a specially decorated interior and passengers will be greeted by a video welcome from Winfrey. The plane had its inaugural flight from Chicago where Oprah films her show. During the first flight from Chicago to Los Angeles one lucky passenger was was given enough United Mileage Plus miles for a trip around the world and other passengers received a monogrammed "Oprah 25" fleece blanket. United has also created the United Million Mile Giveaway -- a sweepstakes that will give one million United Mileage Plus miles to one lucky winner each month through May and offers Oprah Store e-cards as additional prizes. The special Oprah paint job will last until Oprah's show winds up next May.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Show, the farewell season, united airlines cancellations

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Vegas Deal Will Make Madonna a Billionaire

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Madonna is poised to become a billionaire thanks to an offer of a five-year performing residency in Las Vegas. The deal, valued at $1 billion, is being brokered by Las Vegas officials looking to give the beleaguered town a boost and restore its tourist traffic, the London Sun reports, and would likely involve appearances at more than one glitzy casino. The arrangement is similar to ones that Celine Dion, Elton John and Cher have had in the past though much more lucrative. Madonna, who is already the fourth highest earning female entertainer in the world, would join Oprah on the very short list of celebrity female billionaires if she decides to sign on the dotted line. The megabucks payment would totally eclipse her previous earnings; in 2007, she signed a ten-year contract worth a measly $125 million with promoter Live Nation.

Tags: billionaire, casino, celebrity, Celine Dion, entertainment, Las Vegas, Madonna, music, Oprah

Oprah: the World's Best Boss?

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Big Givers

Oprah Winfrey doled out Apple iPads and checks for $10,000 to the staff at her "O, The Oprah Magazine." Why? She appreciates them! Listen up, bosses, and see how it's done.

This isn't the first time Oprah has shown her generosity toward her staff. She has reportedly rewarded staffers with Hawaiian vacations, cars and trips. The occasion for this most-recent gift-giving was the celebration of the magazine's 10th anniversary, according to Advertising Age. The billionaire media mogul stopped by Hearst's Manhattan headquarters and handed each staffer a new iPad with a personalized leather carrying case. And let's not forget the $10,000 checks. It could not be determined how many employees were given the gifts, which, by the way, are taxable.

The daytime talk-show-diva-turned-corporation once famously gave away new cars to every member of her Chicago studio audience. The popular TV host is ending "The Oprah Winfrey Show" next year after 25 years as she sets up her own cable TV network, known as OWN.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, oprahs big give, OprahWinfreyShow

Oprah's Angel Network Closing Down

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Big Givers

With her show set to finish up in 2011 Oprah Winfrey is making some big changes. Her Oprah's Angel Network, a charitable organization that has raised and given away more than $80 million in over a decade, will shut down. As of this week the charity has stopped accepting donations. It will distribute all remaining funds and then close.

Oprah began the charity in 1998 and encouraged both her celebrity friends and her legion of fans to donate money to the charity. She paid the administrative costs so that all funds raised went directly toward the appropriate causes. Nearly 150,000 donors have given money to the network and according to the Angel Network website the charity has awarded funds to hundreds of organizations in the United States and in more than 30 countries around the world.

Oprah's new cable network, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, will continue to highlight charitable organizations in the years ahead. Oprah's two private philanthropies, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation will both remain active. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that Oprah Winfrey donated more than $41 million last year and was ranked No. 25 on The Chronicle's most-recent annual Philanthropy 50, which compiles the total annual giving by America's biggest philanthropists.

Tags: oprah, oprah winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah Winfrey Show, oprahs angel network, OprahWinfreyShow

Bobbi Brown: Makeup that Looks Like Skin, But Better

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Bobbi Brown is the beauty line and namesake of celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown, and a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award in Best Cosmetics Line.

Bobbi Brown worked her way up to makeup stardom through the freelance scene in New York City, gig by gig, in the kind of environment that makes most young hopefuls throw in the towel. Her seven-year perseverance paid off with a Vogue cover featuring supermodel-to-be Naomi Campbell shot by Patrick Demarchelier. She was immediately established as one of the freshest voices in the industry, and the jobs started pouring in.

Gallery: Bobbi Brown

Tags: awards-main, beauty-main, Bobbi Brown, cosmetics, Estee Lauder, luxist-awards, Naomi Campbell, oprah, oprah winfrey, Patrick Demarchelier

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What Oprah & Obama Will Be Watching This Weekend

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Charity, Children, Big Givers

No, not the latest bloated-budget Hollywood thriller, but something much closer to home: The Providence Effect, an award-winning documentary about Providence-St. Mel, a small school in Chicago's gritty East Garfield Park that has achieved an incredible 100% college acceptance rate against all odds.

Oprah deserves at least some of the credit; she gave the school $1 million to help fund the educational juggernaut that has been called the future of education. Obama meanwhile visited the school in 1998 and gave an incredible inspirational speech that showed he was destined for the highest office in the land.

The movie centers on the equally inspiring journey of the school's principal Paul J. Adams III, who has challenged the Chicago school system for 30 years with his revolutionary approaches to teaching, and also founded the Providence Englewood Charter School. Of course the Obamas and Oprah have been sent copies to view in their personal screening rooms, but the film opens in select theaters nationwide this Friday.

Tags: Barack Obama, BarackObama, Chicago, education, Obama, Oprah, Oprah Winfrey, OprahWinfrey, school

Oprah's Employees Vacation In Style

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Celebrity Shopping

Working for Oprah certainly has its perks. The AFP is reporting that Oprah Winfrey celebrated her 55th birthday in Barcelona with 1,700 of her employees and their families. The party took place over the weekend at Poble Espanyol, a popular tourist destination with shops, bars and restaurants. Her lucky guests will spend three days in the city before embarking on a 10-day Mediterranean cruise aboard the Norwegian Gem liner sailing to Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Malta. The ship has 11 bars and lounges, 12 restaurants, pool, hot tubs, a beauty salon, spa, casino, cigar club, library and even a bowling alley. Oprah is said to be spending around $5,400 per person on the cruise.

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Tags: barcelona, norwegian gem, NorwegianGem, oprah, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, spain

Oprah Champions The Joys of Private Jet Travel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Usually Oprah is the voice of the middle class but this weekend in a speech to Duke University's graduating class, she let her wealth show. She told the students that it's "great to have nice homes." She also loves her private plane and said "anyone that tells you that having your own private jet isn't great is lying to you."

She's right of course and like Robert Frank said in The Wealth Report, it's nice to see someone being honest about the perks of wealth, of which the ability to travel wherever, whenever, in perfect comfort is one of the best. Now we just need to see Oprah say this on her show which she likely will not do for fear of alienating her core audience. With all of the bashing the private jet industry has gotten lately and the resulting fall out, causing the loss of thousands of jobs, the industry could use a little help. The NY Times recently noted that many former private jet users are changing their travel strategies due to both monetary issues and the pervasive feeling that private jet travel is now somehow wrong. Oprah has always had a soft spot for the underdog and right now the private jet industry finds itself in that position.

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Tags: duke, oprah, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, private jet, PrivateJet

Luxury Gift Ideas From The Oprah Store

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping, Big Givers

In an "of course she does, and I can't believe I didn't know this sooner" moment, I discovered that Oprah has an online store as well as a real one in Chicago. There are indeed some nice items in the Luxury Gift Ideas section that weren't too expensive (but, alas, weren't too original, either). Some go to help a good cause, however, like the Beaded O Bracelets, handcrafted of glass beads by women in Rwanda. Check out the gallery for some other gift ideas from a woman who knows how to gift.

Gallery: Luxury Gift Ideas From The Oprah Store

Tags: gift, gift idea, gift ideas, GiftIdea, GiftIdeas, gifts, Oprah, Oprah store, Oprah Winfrey, OprahStore, OprahWinfrey, Winfrey

The Giving Back Fund Releases Top 30 Celebrity Donors for 2007

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Big Givers

Each year a list of the top thirty celebrity donors is compiled through public records and released. No big surprise as to the top donor -- Oprah Winfrey -- who last year donated over $50 million largely in support of health care and education. The list includes such giving regulars as Paul Newman, Angelina and Brad, and Lance Armstrong and other lesser-known philanthropists including David and Valerie Robinson, Isabel Allende, and Hugh Hefner?! The amount of dollars donated ranges from $50,200,000 to $724,825. Its good to see where some of those big earners spend their money and which causes are getting the celebrity attention.

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Tags: expire-images2009-9-16, giving back 30, giving back 30 2007, giving back fund, GivingBack30, GivingBack302007, GivingBackFund, oprah, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey

Charity Of The Day: International Breast Milk Project

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day, Children, Big Givers

Minnesota Mom Jill Youse started sending her own breast milk to Africa in 2006, soon after which she began helping other moms around the country do the same through her organization, the International Breast Milk Project (IBMP). In just the past couple of years IBMP has successfully shipped over 85,000 pounds of milk to infants in Africa, primarily babies fighting illnesses that often abate when breast milk is introduced. Youse set up a program for women who have suffered the loss of an infant through the Madison Cassady Program , so that grieving mothers who still had milk stored in their freezers didn't have to throw it all away. Also distributed in the U.S. to children born prematurely or whose mothers cannot produce milk, donations are made easy for moms. Coolers and the necessary equipment arrive shipped to their doors and are later picked up and sent to babies in need. Even FedEx has chipped in to provide transport for the mothers' milk. Recognized as one of "Earth's Mothers" by Oprah Winfrey a little over a year ago, Youse and IBMP are revolutionizing how new moms think about breastfeeding, convincing them to add a few more mouths along the way.

Tags: Big Givers, BigGivers, Charity, Charity of the Day, CharityOfTheDay, IBMP, International Breast Milk Project, InternationalBreastMilkProject, Jill Youse, JillYouse, Madison Cassady Program, MadisonCassadyProgram, Oprah, Oprah Winfrey, OprahWinfrey

Keyless Deadbolt Uses Fingerprint Scanning

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Gadgets

If you've ever fumbled with your keys on a dark night or with your hands full of packages (just like those poor women on Lifetime TV who don't quite get safely inside), you need this.

SmartScan from Kwikset offers the first biometric, keyless technology in a deadbolt designed to fit the décor and standard installation on your residential door. This commercial-grade technology uses biometrics to scan your unique fingerprint, down to the subdermal layer, to unlock your deadbolt without a key.

Fingerprints are read, once users "enroll" in the unit, by just swiping a finger under the sensor. If you're having work done in your home, you can change the normal 24/7 family setting to a temporary access setting that sets days of the week for contractors. Control even more with restricted access that sets time and days of the week, good for regular visitors, such as babysitters or housekeepers. Up to 50 users can be entered, and the administrator can easily enroll or delete users.

This standalone system does not require external wiring and installs like a conventional deadbolt with just a Phillips screwdriver. There's extra security with ANSI Grade 1 security features and back-up key usage. No prices on the Kwikset site, but on Home Depot it's $199.

As seen on The Oprah Winfrey Show. And we know how much Oprah loves her luxury items.

Tags: deadbolt, deadbolt-lock, keyless, keyless entry, keylessentry, kwikset, lock, locks, oprah, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, security

Oprah's Angel Network, Charity of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Charity of the Day

Oprah is famous for being rich, but she's also famous for being generous in her efforts to give back and make the world a better place. Oprah has her hands in a lot of charitable causes, but one of the most successful is Oprah's Angel Network. Started in 1997 as part of a smaller project that took off somewhat unexpectedly, today Oprah's Angel Network has raised more than $70 million dollars towards improving access to education, protecting people's basic rights, building communities, and creating the leaders of tomorrow.

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Tags: charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, oprah, oprah winfrey, oprah winfreys angel network, OprahWinfrey, OprahWinfreysAngelNetwork

Deborah Lindquist Skull Cardigan

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping, Green

While watching Oprah today I noticed environmentalist Sophie Uliano was wearing a cardigan by one of my favorite "green" designers. Deborah Lindquist has been the stylist to the stars for years, she has dressed everyone from Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson to Gwen Stefani and Sharon Stone. Her signature line features the latest, most in demand fabrics like recycled cashmere, paired with today's hottest symbols like skulls and roses. Her style is nonchalant and relaxed, yet classically elegant. Her recycled cashmere cardigan is to die for, it features a skull applique and charming pearl buttons. Fabulous! This must have is available online for $286. Enjoy!

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Tags: cardigan sweater, CardiganSweater, deborah lindquist, deborah lindquist skull cardigan, DeborahLindquist, DeborahLindquistSkullCardigan, oprah, recycled cashmere, RecycledCashmere, shopping