Ever since George Washington took that most solemn oath of office, Americans have been commemorating presidential inaugurations with cherished keepsakes. Banners, buttons — that sort of thing.
In the frenzy leading up to President-elect Barack Obama’s historic inauguration, Americans are at it again — and this time they’re snatching up more personal slices of history than ever.
But thong underwear bearing the words “Witness to History — Obama-Biden — January 20, 2009”? Really?
Yes, really.
Thanks to the Internet, consumers have at their disposal an infinite array of products bearing an endless selection of Obama images and phrases. If you see an image you like and you don’t feel like wearing it on a T-shirt, then you can order it up on a hat, tote bag, pair of shoes, infant onesie, skateboard, button, sticker, magnet, mug, barbecue apron — and, yes, on boxers, briefs and thong underwear.
And why not? So says Karen DeMarco, spokeswoman for Zazzle.com, a Web site that capitalizes on self-expression and allows buyers and sellers to customize products pretty much any way they want. The site is offering up more than 100,000 Obama-inspired products right now, and that number is growing daily.
“People want to have their voices heard,” DeMarco said. “Our users have really been politically minded and very savvy ... and we’ve just never seen a candidate like this before.”
High-flying emotions trigger sales
During the final run-up to Tuesday’s inauguration, small entrepreneurs and retail giants alike are cashing in on all things Obama. The sheer magnitude of stuff that’s for sale is staggering. In addition to items you can wear, you can buy Obama action figures, Obama hot sauces, a special Obama edition of the Spider-Man comic, “Hope on a Rope” soap and “Yes Pecan!” ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s.
What’s prompting these distinctively American forms of canonization?
“This is a unique historical event this goes beyond just your run-of-the-mill presidential inauguration,” said Martin Brochstein, a senior vice president at the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association. “There is a historical and emotional aspect to this one that separates it from the rest. I don’t remember ever seeing the range of merchandise that’s out there. ...
“I hate to compare it to something as mundane as sports teams … but when a sports team has sudden unexpected victories or victories that resonate, people go nuts buying merchandise. It’s the same thing in action now. People want to be identified with this.”
The selling — and buying — craze has actually been going on for months now. Consumers have been splurging on politically themed products since the primaries, and a niche market still exists for items tied to other candidates who inspired ardent support from voters. For instance, it’s not at all difficult to find “Huckabee/Palin 2012” bumper stickers and “Don’t blame me ... I voted for Ron Paul” T-shirts out there.
As the presidential election approached, merchandise featuring Obama and Republican candidate John McCain emerged almost everywhere and anywhere you turned. Finger puppets, bobble heads, breakfast cereals, pajamas, coffee and condoms appeared along with the usual fare of buttons, banners, stickers and T-shirts.
Within minutes of the announcement of Obama’s victory on Nov. 4, products that had featured Obama’s “Yes We Can” campaign slogan became available with the new phrase “Yes We Did.” By late November, the New York Times reported that consumers had already spent as much as $200 million on Obama merchandise, and in December, eBay said more than 111,000 Obama-inspired items had been purchased on its site.
Just as the election furor began to wane, the holiday season arrived, and entrepreneurs wasted no time churning out Obama-themed stocking stuffers, wreaths, Christmas tree ornaments and other trinkets. One ornament said, “Dear Santa, Thanks, but I got what I wanted on Nov. 4th!” Another showed Barack and Michelle Obama bumping fists. And a slew of products featured Obama dressed up as Santa Claus himself — sometimes along with the words “Ho Ho Hope.”
The lead-up to the inauguration marks the next big sales wave for Obamabilia. Not only are retailers selling Obama souvenirs, they’re also plugging cameras, warm jackets and other gear for people who plan to attend the event in person, party supplies for people who want to throw inauguration parties, and home entertainment equipment for folks who intend to stay home and watch the event on TV.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to prepare for the historic event,” said Craig Berman, director of communications for online retailer Amazon.com.
Time and experience dictate that all wildly popular crazes eventually come to an end — and that can be a painful thing for retailers who get stuck holding boxes of coffee mugs and T-shirts that no one wants to buy.
“The smart, small, specialty retailers sell this stuff while it’s hot and then get out before it’s not,” said retail expert Doug Fleener, president and managing partner of Dynamic Experiences Group in Lexington, Mass. “One of the benefits of being small is that you can see an opportunity, jump on and jump off. And if you think about it, probably a lot of people are just doing this out of their houses.”
Brochstein agreed that the inventory risk can be great with trends like this one.
“While there will still be a market for this merchandise after Jan. 20, the emotion will dissipate over time,” he said. “A smart business person will factor that into their decisions.”
Some entrepreneurs and product designers are managing to avoid inventory risks altogether, though, thanks to the advent of on-demand printing of online orders. Products offered through sites such as CafePress.com and Zazzle.com, for example, remain “virtual” and don’t even get made until they’re ordered.
Collectors hear the siren call
Yet another factor driving the appetite for Obama products is the notion that they’ll be worth real money someday. After all, it’s hard to think of an event that brims with as much historical consequence as a presidential inauguration — and the inauguration of the nation’s first black president is about as historically significant as it gets.
Nevertheless, consumer protection advocates have been warning people not to expect to cash in on most of these items down the road.
“In order for memorabilia to become worth much money, it generally needs to be quite rare,” Better Business Bureau spokesman Steve Cox said in a statement. “Unfortunately for Obama collectors, there is a glut of merchandise being sold nationwide. There’s nothing wrong with buying a plate or a coin celebrating Barack Obama’s inauguration, but consumers need to be aware that the value of the item might be purely sentimental.”
Brochstein also noted that the key to value is scarcity — but he said Obama’s popularity around the world could drain at least some product inventories more quickly than expected.
“Because of the reach of the Internet, you’re now dealing with a more global marketplace and your potential audience is bigger,” he said.
Some experts have speculated that authentic items from Obama’s days as a U.S. senator could have real value for collectors in the years to come.
Would this happen with anyone else?
The stunning explosion of Obama merchandise invariably leads to the question: Would this much stuff have been created and purchased if McCain had won the presidential election?
The answer is, probably not. The historic nature of Obama’s win coupled with his youthfulness and hope-inspiring presence have taken consumers’ excitement level to dizzying new heights.
Retail expert Fleener said that’s likely for the best.
“If John McCain had won, I’m not sure a John McCain thong would have been a huge seller,” Fleener said. “I mean, that’s just downright frightening.”