April 20, 2004
Selling the Candidates
Looking into how to get a Kerry bumper sticker or two, I came across John Kerry’s online store. After browsing around a bit, I decided to check out Bush’s online store as well.
What I found particularly interesting at each site were the selections of t-shirts, particularly those which stray from the traditional campaign logo t-shirt.
John Kerry's site included a couple of shirts that clearly are targeted towards college students and young hipsters, like this ringer tee and this retro "Real Deal" shirt.
In contrast, Bush's merchandise clearly targets a very different demographic with his racing-inspired t-shirt and the ridiculous Farm-Ranch Team t-shirt.
So these selections of t-shirt designs got me thinking whether the candidates are savy merchandisers now in addition to candidates, or are they completely missing the boat?
Do they want to be selling t-shirts that simply reinforce their traditional supporter bases or would they be better served by attempting to cross into the other candidate's turf? Wouldn't Kerry better spread his message if he had a shirt that NASCAR dad supporters wanted to wear amid a sea of Bush supporters? And wouldn't Bush be better off getting infiltrating areas that are frequented by liberal urban dwellers?
Posted by blipsman at April 20, 2004 12:55 PM
One thing that people need to know is that campaigns are not allowed to make any profit from the sale of propaganda. This is why vendors like KerryGear and DemStore have popped up, selling their services as co-branded online stores to the various campaigns.
I actually find the merchandise prices of most of these vendors to be outrageous (about 40% profit), but as long as people are willing to pay them then I guess it’s just fair-market value capitalism.
Posted by: Cameron Barrett at April 20, 2004 02:18 PMLet’s not forget Bush’s “metrosexual” dubbed white-on-black “W” t-shirts; arguably a pardoy of once-fashion-giant Calvin Klein.
Edit: Seems you can even get attractive “W” tote bags now.
Posted by: Shem at April 21, 2004 12:53 AMI want some John Kerry Flip Flops. I am a Bush supporter but I would love to buy a pair of these. Wouldn’t you?
Posted by: Ed at April 21, 2004 02:29 AMIt seems that the “W, The President” gear is so popular that someone has created a parody sticker W, The Pestilent.
Posted by: Sam at July 18, 2004 04:04 PMneither pestilent nor pernicious, OUR offering is full of LIFE and humor…
see www.FthePres.com for “F the President” bumper stickers, buttons, and the like. The professionally designed products are offered in two stores, since most people come looking for the bumper stickers - see http://www.cafepress.com/FthePresident for other items such as t-shirts and mousepads.
Posted by: F The President at November 1, 2004 11:01 PM
