The Rise and Fall of ObamaMarketing
by Evan Coyne MaloneyIn the summer of 2008, I noticed something I’d never seen before. All around midtown Manhattan, on various sidewalks, people were selling cheap plastic trinkets out of open briefcases propped atop folding tray tables.
To anyone who’s spent any time in New York City–where makeshift sidewalk vendors are more plentiful than Starbucks–that probably doesn’t sound so strange. But as someone who’s lived here since before the Reagan/Carter election, these vendors were different. Rather, the nature of what they sold was different.
Months before Barack Obama formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, the name “Obama” was already being stamped on or sewn into objects of every type, and these objects could be purchased just about anywhere you happened to be standing. Keychains, buttons, hats, t-shirts were all readily available. I saw Obama skateboards and heard rumors of Obama bongs. Eventually, companies usually seen selling things like pewter gnomes and porcelain kittens got into the game, hawking commemorative coins and Obama dinner plates on late-night cable shows.
Never before had I seen such an orgy of political merchandising. And that was before the election. Afterwards, ObamaMarketing got cranked up to 11, going from street corners and the backwaters of cable TV to mass-market advertisers. In the weeks leading up to President Obama’s inauguration, Pepsi launched an ad campaign featuring Obama campaign poster look-alikes and modified slogans like “Yes You Can.”
From a business standpoint, that seemed a bit risky to me. Big brands usually try to appeal to the widest possible audience, so why would a company like Pepsi risk being seen as endorsing Obama, potentially alienating some of the nearly 60 million people who voted for someone else? Was Pepsi willing to cede the non-Obama vote to Coke?
In baseball, even the best batters go through major slumps. And in politics, presidents have periods where they lose popularity. So companies tying their brands to individual politicians are either naive about politics, or they and their ad agencies are run by people suffering from groupthink. Were they all drinking the Obama kool-aid? Had they not considered what might happen when Obama inevitably fell from messiah status to that of mortal politician?
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82 Comments
Changing their logo to look like Obama's can't be helping with half the country.
Pepsi lost my business with their cheesy little stunt.
Not that they care….
Obama fatigue has set in. Dolphin announcer Jimmy Cefalo said Obama was booed during his Dolphin/Jets pregame speech broadcast in Miami last night.
Meanwhile, my school campus had legions of cars sporting Obama bumper stickers (no shocker there). Since about August, they started disappearing…now, I rarely see any at all!
Pepsi, I WAS a very good customer–but YES I CAN drink Diet Coke now!!
When one's head is a Chiapet (in Determined and Happy versions), that's a pretty good sign one is Overexposed.
I used to drink Pepsi but no more and they’ve lost me forevah! Stupid move on their parts. I wonder if that idiot with the O-bam-ahh energy drink is still driving around in her tricked out truck. Even if she is I’m sure sales are down and her nice, pristine truck has probably met with a few dings and scratches. Did you notice how all the folks at the inaguration were talking of the zero as if he were a god? So many on the left are athiests and agnostics but it strikes me as funny how they don’t balk at worshiping at the altar of Obama. A vacuum always gets filled I guess. The kids selling the anti-Obama stuff were mostly pragmatists but I say good for the free market and I hope they make loads of money. That’s the beauty of the free market, goods rise and fall on their own merit. I guess a lot of these lefty t-shirt vendors are figuring that out for themselves right now. Hope they have their resume’s ready.
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Loved Pepsi, but now I drink only Coke. Ms. Nooyi started her hatefest long before she was CEO:
http://www.nysun.com/business/pepsi-exec-likens-a...
Were they all drinking the Obama kool-aid? (Courtesy of Evan Coyne Maloney)
Yes they were…………….
If you can check out John Stewart's show from last night. My gut hurt so bad from laughing a first for me since Obama's inaugeration. He ripped CNN to shreads. I may have to rethink my feeling towrds this guy and start to not hate him as much. But in all honesty, with all his writers and all that material just begging for a good egging, still it was good to see and yet another chip in the wall
here is the link for Stewart's show on CNN nonesense news
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
I drink neither Pepsi nor Coke – the regular versions have too much sugar and the sugar free ones have cloying fake after tastes.
Obama WAS booed by 65,000 NFL fans at landshark stadium last night, even when he highlighted a special latin heritage month football player that is living his dream… in spite of his spanish handicap.
Not to sound paranoid, but did they all (the suppliers of merch, not the street vendors) know the win was in the bag? I mean the Nobel committee had to start vetting him ten months ago, we have learned.
Slight change of subject but……..how come obama goes to So called "Rev." wright's church and hires van jones… both of these guys and plenty of others in his life hate white people and yet noone calls it racism. Why do white liberals not care about racism directed at their own race?
I don't know, I think this had more to do with a NEA type deal for some of these companies. Regardless, any publicity is good publicity. Name recognition and branding is what counts.
You seem to forget that the boiking never heard (in 20 faithful years in the "peee-uuuus") any of the anti-American poison this man screamed from his pulpit. Nor did the boiking know that Jones (or any of his czars) is a radical communist, hell bent on "fundamentally transforming America".
I don't think white liberals "care" about anything but belittling those who take an opposing stand, arguing and when they can't come up with an argument, start calling people names.
"So companies tying their brands to individual politicians are either naive about politics"
A little of both I suspect.
All this marketing and yet, he only won with 53% of the vote? And it has been downhill ever since.
Look up "Obama Auto" in Detroit. Its an automotive repair business. Changed their name right after the election.
Perhaps Barry toilet paper? Mmm mmm mmm…
I love the people selling the anti obama wear being "equal opportunity offenders', that is brilliant. True capitalists, there is hope for the youth in this country after all. I too wonder what happened with the "reformed republican" with her energy drink, my bet is she is a reformed republican, reformed obamacon!
This was a brilliant piece Mr. Maloney, to have the foresight and know that the love of this meer man would wane. Kudos to you!
I love the people selling the anti obama wear being "equal opportunity offenders', that is brilliant. True capitalists, there is hope for the youth in this country after all. I too wonder what happened with the "reformed republican" with her energy drink, my bet is she is a 'reformed republican, reformed obamacon!'
This was a brilliant piece Mr. Maloney, to have the foresight and know that the love of this 'meer man' would wane. Kudos to you!
He started to win me back when he killed the MSM over ignoring ACORN. Not all the way there yet, but he has my attention.
I remember seeing before the election Irish-themed t-shirts that had O'Bama on them.
This is an interesting story from a marketing standpoint with a good observation about Pepsi too, but since it appears here on biggovernment, it just seems a little unnecessarily spiteful. There were vendors out there for McCain/Palin as well – they just weren't selling as well. Even at the RNC, McCain T-shirts weren't selling at the airport.
Nonetheless, a useful piece on corporate marketing and entrepreneurial efforts of small vendors of everything, whatever is hot. Got a bridge birthday to commemorate? That rakes in big bucks too.
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"I sing the mighty power of Obama…"! "Change is good!" Stupid statement. Obama's change to a neutered America is NOT GOOD!
Marketing Obama?
But, of course, he's:
PRESIDENT NEW COKE
http://naturalfake.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/presi...
Still, a good sales pitch isn't everything:
BUT WAIT! THERE'S LESS! OR PRESIDENT POPEIL
http://naturalfake.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/but-w...
Unless you live in:
BARACK OBAMA'S FAIRY PALACE
http://naturalfake.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/barac...
Inappropriate example of course but defended U.S. at the end. Just sayin
Thanks for info re "BUYERS' REMORSE", on your campus, re Obama stickers.
Obama Marketing?
Those thugs give a whole new meaning to the term Guerilla Marketing…………
Damned LIBERALS suffer from "white guilt" and are closet racists, so they bend waaaaaaaaay over to prove that they really don't hate those whom they consider to be inferior; except when it comes to GOPers/CONSERVATIVES.
And part of that was ACORN ENGENDERED VOTER FRAUD !
A few days ago anti-Obama bumper stickers were on Ebay's home page, touting as the best selling product on e-bay.
The thing about these ILLEGAL, UNLICENSED vendors, on NYC streets, is that they are about 99% black, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, The vast majority of the junk they sell is made in China and smuggled into the USA, warehoused in China Town, in lower Manhattan, or, sometimes in some other borough.
The question really should be………………………………….WHO MADE/ORDERED THE OBAMA JUNK AND WHAT DID THEY KNOW?
There should be a law that you have to pass a current events intelligence test before you can vote.
Wouldn't that eliminate the halls of Congress and the Senate ? The inner cities ? The illegal communities ? The Democrat Party as a whole ? The welfare non-producing rats ? The Obama administration ? All the university population and its teaching staff ?
I like it !
I'm all for entrepreneurial t-shirt vendors trying to make a fast buck, but, when a big multinational corporation like Pepsi plays politics they deserve the economic backlash. Pepsi is gone from my house.
I'm just trying to imagine the havock that toxic narcissist Obama car lady has played on family and relationships over her life. What a piece of work. Lady, grow up.
For several weeks after the 2008 election, a sad sack Obama supporter continued to man his table of Obamabilia at the entrance to the Embarcadero BART station in San Francisco. I couldn't resist needling the poor schlub when I walked past him each evening by making comments such as "Dude, he won. It's time to Get A Life." or "Should have been Hillary". I didn't vote for her – but it was fun to watch him squirm. I know – mean, but it was time for him to get over the campaign.
If people did not buy this junk they would go away. If you don't want to get pooped on, don't feed the pigeons. This logic can be applied to a vast majority of our social programs.
I think the law should be: If you don't pay income taxes you don't vote. Why should anyone have a say on how money is spent if it is not their money to begin with? Just my two-cents.
Stan, you just might be on to something. We could furnish all the latrines in Congress and House.
You have to water the enclosed teleprompter before the head sprouts!
That's a very good idea! Because what we're dealing with is about 30% of the population is black and hispanic who don't pay taxes, not to mention all the others who pay no taxes. Between federal and state taxes, I live in California, it's over 50% now for me and this is before all these new taxes and tax hikes coming down the pike.
> People are so hungry for the image of a "man of peace." So hungry for
"someone to believe in." And at the same time, so hungry for "power" and
"things." Lots of hunger, different masks, polarizing beliefs.
>
**********
It's the belief in "other", which when looked into, is just the fear of being
alone, so co-dependency is played out ad-nauseum.
here is the link for Stewart's show on CNN nonesense news
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-12-...
This was the face of Denver too at the DNC. Not a Hillary Clinton stand to be found anywhere. It was all Obama all over the place. A gaunlet to be run past sullen, menacing Obama hokey junk salesmen who filled every concievable pubiic space. I had never seen such a thing.
I travel a lot and everywhere I went had stalls selling Obama junk as well, where they could not even vote, even in the remotest corners of the world. It was a total take-over of the medium and the message. It was brutal and silenced all opposition. The faces of the sellers were almost 100% black, and grim. They were there to make a buck; not to support a cause. And to sneer if you passed them by.
It was the scariest political climate I had ever witnessed. I felt intimidated to put on my Clinton button but finally decided I would not let this oppressive environment censor my free political speech. I was met with glowers until I finally left this convention area and only then was I greeted warmly by total strangers who confessed they too were fans of Hillary Clinton and were happy to see there was support for her too.
Alas, the rest is history. Obama thugs prevailed and now we are witnessing as a nation what branding a human being for political take-over actually means. How this man could have won a Peace Prize, in the climate of violence that surrounded his every political move, is beyond me.
Yeah, used to be called "General Motors."
Only 12% to 14% of the population are black. Hispanics, who are an extremely diversified group and NOT a race, are that or a bit less, so your figure (30 %) is wrong. Add to that, that Cubans are usually GOPers and the majority of the "Hispanics" in most places in Florida and your figure is even more debased.
I've been saying, for several decades, that there should be a mandatory, yet simple/basic test , in order to be eligible to vote…..something along the lines of the test that naturalized citizens must take to become ciktizens and that the age should bed raised to 21, as it once was, for first time voters.
Yes, yes, I know the argument to lower the age to 18 was that they go into the military at 18, but there is no more draft and they can't buy a beer at 18, so they shouldn't be allowed to vote either. Heck, I really think that the voting age should be raised to 25 or 30, but I knows that that sounds a bit extreme.
And those who pay NO income tax, no matter what their age, should NOT be allowed to vote !
[...] The Rise and Fall of ObamaMarketing [...]
[...] Rise and Fall of ObamaMarketing From Big Government by Evan Coyne Maloney In the summer of 2008, I noticed something I’d never seen before. [...]
Hmm. Pepsi USED to be my favorite. Guess I'll have to buy Coke now, or maybe RC.
We never heard on the local news here in Colorado about the scary political climate in Denver. Of course the local MSM was so smitten with Obamamania they could hardly contain themselves.
I hadn't known that about Pepsi. I'm not a huge pop drinker but when I do imbibe, I buy whatever is on sale between Pepsie and Coke. NO MORE; it's only Coke now.
NObama Piece Prize says it all (after 12 days in the U.S. Presidents' office). I agree with author, Jeffrey Lord, "It's time for a Reagan Peace Prize".
YW! This CHANGE gives us all HOPE! Mmmmm…mmmmm….mmm!
Have not purchased a pepsi since that day!
First, the White House goes to war with Fox News.
Now, if Democrat Rep. James Clyburn is to be believed, it looks like the First Lady is spoiling for a tiff with the state of South Carolina.
Is there anyone Team Obama isn’t willing to alienate these days?
Via the SC Post and Courier:
U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Friday that a conversation with White House staff left him with the sense that a hostile environment in South Carolina is keeping the first lady from visiting.
The high-ranking South Carolina Democrat said he has received more than 100 invitations for Michelle Obama. But this summer when he brought one of those requests to her staff on behalf of his alma mater, South Carolina State University, Clyburn said her security was an issue.
The conversation came after former Richland County GOP activist Rusty DePass suggested on Facebook in June that an escaped zoo gorilla was not harmful because it was probably one of Mrs. Obama’s ancestors. DePass’ comment was coupled with a remark in July from U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican. DeMint said that beating the president’s health care plan would be a ‘Waterloo’ moment for Obama.
Congressman Joe Wilson’s ‘You lie!’ outburst during Obama’s joint address on health care reform last month didn’t help either, Clyburn said.
‘A lot of it has to do with the fact that the climate in South Carolina just is not good, and that’s a shame,’ Clyburn said at a roundtable discussion at his Columbia office.
‘I do believe it is keeping her away from this state,’ he said.
Hat tip: Jenn Q. Public, who calls out the Democrats for smearing with a broad brush:
Yes, a moronic South Carolina GOP grunt wrote something shameful about the first lady and a couple of politicians made bold statements about the president and his policies. How do those comments indicate a statewide climate hostile enough to jeopardize Mrs. Obama’s security?
Simple answer: they don’t.
The White House isn’t keeping Michelle Obama out of South Carolina to protect her from assassins in white hoods. South Carolina is being kept off her itinerary to send a message: embarrassing the president will not be tolerated. (Are you listening Joe Wilson?) Dissent will be contorted into proof that racist backwater bumpkins in the south are undermining Obama’s presidency and endangering the very life of the first lady with their dangerous coded rhetoric.
Who cares about smearing the people of South Carolina? After all, it’s just a red state.
Okay, I'm sayin it. I've thought about for awhile. Seems all my democrat friends suddenly don't want to talk about politics. Last year they were blasting me for Bush. Well there were choices, primaries, national elections. Plenty of time to see what the plans were from the candidates. We've had better choices, but not much worse ones.
And really this is the what I keep coming down to…
Ask the individuals who voted this president into office. Did they vote for him because of his politics or because of his color? In other words, are they a Socialist or are a racist? And for a follow up, what are they now?
Ah, but there'e benn a rise in another kind of Obama art–see S.Weasel's site to view her Nobel Laureate medal juxtaposed with Obama as a wiener, with the wording, "…and the wiener is".
It's her first firay into T shirt land.
Stewart is fine. If the GOP had of paid attention to the things he made fun of they might still be in office and the national debt would be $2tril smaller. What do they say about keeping your enemies close?
My guess is that this was also orchestrated by the Obama group. They were shrewd. I do not believe this sprang up on its own.
I happen to love my Obama bumper sticker…it says, 'So, how's that whole hopey, changey thing working out for ya'?…proudly plastered on the hind end of my mini-van here in Madisonistan, WI!
Yes, I too stopped drinking Pepsi products. When I realized they didn't want my business, I stopped drinking their soda.
Yes, I could break my Mountain Dew addiction!
At this point, I'm waiting for Pepsi to change its logo. That, for me, will be a trailing indicator that The Won has hit the skids.
I'm not Mr. Boycott, but those Pepsi adverstisements bugged me, as well as some of my friends. We all had a laught when we all said that we had ditched Pepsi for that reason, without telling each other (or anyone else).
Second, at the MLK memorial in Atlanta, I saw Nike shoes with "Yes we can" on them, with some Obama artwork. I know Nike didn't sell them that way, but it's still damn funny. I even surreptitiously took a photo.
Speaking of bumperstickers, I'm sure you remember the guilt trip people tried to put on you when they kept their "Kerry – Edwards" bumpersticker on their Subaru for 2 or 3 years after Bush was elected. Supposedly to shame those who would dare disagree with them. Is it time to install a McCain sticker on my car for the same reason? Just askin'….
Who drinks Pepsi anyway? Have you ever been in a bar and heard someone order a "whiskey and Pepsi"? Why would anyone drink Coke or Pepsi except to mix it with whiskey?
Obama stuff is starting to show up at the big closeout wholesalers.
Jumped the shark.
I like Dr. Pepper
It was probably all funded by Soros to push Obama. We may never know.
LOL–Make doubly sure that you have the "Palin" on that sticker!
Hopefully your car remains intact!
I am tempted to put a sticker on my car: "Where is Thomas Jefferson when we REALLY need him?"
Should that not be "the welfare REproducing rats"?
Take it further: if you are net tax DRAW, you do not vote. This would exclude people employed in the public sector (and that includes government school teachers), those on the dole, and the gimme generation. The ONLY exception I would make to this is to allow active duty military personnel the franchise. They are earning it.
ahahahhaha… Good one ! I stand corrected .
Indeed! I don't usually do bumper stickers…but I would have would have to make an exception for the Founders! Thanks!
Chalk me up to another lost Pepsi customer. I used to buy one a day, now I buy Coke (or RC if I can find it…)
No, you CAN'T.
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