Marissa Mayer Channeled 'The Wizard of Oz' in Bizarre $70,000 Team-Building Photo Shoot Top staffers dressed as characters from the classic film, including Mayer as Dorothy, complete with blue-ribboned braids and a cheeky grin.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If Marissa Mayer clicks her heels together three times, might she be transported to a place where Yahoo's dismal earnings and dwindling turnaround prospects look slightly less bleak?

Probably not. But in a rather whimsical morale-boosting initiative earlier this year uncovered by Re/code's Kara Swisher, Mayer dreamed up a lavish affair inspired by The Wizard of Oz. At an offsite last fall north of San Francisco, Mayer cast top staffers as characters from the film for a photo shoot -- bedecked in full Yellow Brick Road regalia -- to be displayed as a poster at the company's holiday party, which was themed, "There's no place like here.'

While Mayer cast herself as Dorothy (obviously), complete with blue-ribboned braids and a cheeky grin, other top execs fared slightly less well. Jacqueline Reses, for instance, a development chief who was cast as the Wicked Witch, departed the company last month.

Related: Is Marissa Mayer Running Out of Time?

The cost of the photo shoot? A staggering $70,000 -- which reportedly inspired eye rolls from fellow staffers.

However, this isn't the first over-the-top holiday party conceived by Mayer in which she also managed to cast herself as a kind of star. In 2013, Mayer hosted a Christmas party at her Silicon Valley home in which she ordered an ice rink to be constructed in her backyard and rode in on a mini-Zamboni.

Though these might sound like giddily inventive culture-building ventures (or, tacky and wasteful money sucks, depending on your wont), the revelations come at an inopportune moment for Mayer, as, roughly three years into her polarizing tenure, Yahoo's fate now looks decidedly more deflated than ever before.

Related: Yahoo's Marissa Mayer Is Expecting Identical Twin Girls

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Operations & Logistics

PPP Forgivable Loans Will be Unforgiving for Many

Business who don't bring back their entire workforce will have their eligible forgiveness amount reduced.

Business News

Zillow Predicts These 10 Places Will Have the Hottest Housing Markets in 2025

Zillow predicted that the hottest housing market of 2025 will be Buffalo, New York. Here's why.

Business Solutions

Say Hello to the PDF Multi-Tool You Didn't Know You Needed

Get lifetime access to UPDF for just $47.99—the best price online right now.

Business News

These Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs That Only Require a 2-Year Degree — With Some Around $100,000 and Higher

People with two-year degrees may see career growth in the healthcare, aviation, and technology industries over the next 10 years, according to a new report.