The comedian and Kay campaign star shares his rules for thoughtful presents, from surprise over wish lists to experiences over objects.
Colin Jost has faced the pressures of live television for years, yet he still finds holiday shopping uniquely stressful. The Weekend Update co-host is now channeling that anxiety into comedy through Kay's new holiday campaign, "Love All In," which follows his increasingly absurd quest to find the perfect present.
The partnership suits someone who claims to take gifting seriously despite his humorous exterior. "I think I'm a good gift giver," Jost tells ELLE. "Giving gifts is stressful because I do want it to be a meaningful gift. I hate the idea of just buying something because you have to give someone something."
For Jost, thoughtfulness matters more than price. "At every kind of price point for any gift, there [are] thoughtful and unthoughtful versions," he explains. "Something can be really expensive but not thoughtful." This philosophy matches Kay's campaign message encouraging shoppers to go "all in" when expressing love.
His appreciation for jewelry developed relatively recently. "Until five years ago, I didn't own a watch," he admits. That changed when his wife, Scarlett Johansson, gave him his first one. She has since taken complete control of his personal style, he jokes: "In that it's exclusively managed by her, yes, I would say she's influenced it."
Though raised on Staten Island, Jost prefers understated pieces. While browsing Kay's selection, he gravitated toward simple gold items—a ring, bracelet, and necklace—describing them as "really nice, but also they weren't gaudy." His practical side emerged with unconventional reasoning: "If we get into a post-apocalyptic situation, it feels like it's better to melt down for trading."
Both Johansson and Michael Che prove challenging to shop for. For his Weekend Update colleague, Jost found an unforgettable solution: "I got Che a really large and heavy, realistic statue of a velociraptor." The gag gift came with hidden costs. "The main cost was shipping," he recalls. "It was a huge eyesore, and it's prohibitively expensive for him to have removed from his property."
His father presents the greatest challenge, insisting he wants nothing. "I think he actually means it, but it's so unhelpful," Jost says. Years of nostalgic gifts drawn from family history have depleted his inspiration: "I've got to figure out something that breaks through his defenses."
Jost maintains strict gifting etiquette. He favors surprises over wish lists for adults. "For adults, it's got to be 'surprise me,'" he insists. "The surprise is half the fun, three-quarters of the fun." Regifting is acceptable only with full disclosure and when the item perfectly suits the recipient.
When asked about his own desires, Jost expressed relief at finally being considered. His answer: nothing material. "At this point in life, I mostly want experiences," he says—planned outings, trips, or simply someone organizing time together. "Even if it's just the plan of, 'Let's go do this at this time,' I think that's a great gift." Or, he adds, there's always the velociraptor option.