Presidential primaries awash in promotional products

The upcoming 2016 presidential election is still more than a year away, but the debates started months ago. Meanwhile, the cast of Saturday Night Live is already impersonating and mocking the candidates every weekend. Whether you like politics or not, America is stuck with primaries, polls and stump speeches until next November.

But whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or in favor of a third-party candidate, you might remember some electioneering fondly. You most likely remember the first time you received a campaign button, bumper sticker or branded T-shirt.

Storied election swag and big spenders
Some designs, slogans and promotional buttons like “I like Ike” or “What – Me Worry? I’m Voting Mad Alfred E. Neuman for President” are now considered iconic, according to style blog A Continuous Lean.

Election year is a treasure trove for branded hats, apparel and anything else that candidates can use to get their names out to the public. The color and design of yard signs and candidate logos are scrutinized down to the most minute detail. Presidential races can cost billions of dollars and Bloomberg View anticipates the candidates, parties and political action groups will spend a total of $10 billion on the 2016 election. Meanwhile, the Advertising Specialty Institute projected that candidates spent approximately $870 million on promotional items for their campaigns in 2012.

Branded items can play a big part in getting a politician noticed.

Next year’s presidential election includes the traditional campaign buttons but also boasts some odd promotional offerings.

Bizarre promotions
However, besides the traditional branded campaign items like buttons, hats and signs, there’s a wacky side to presidential promotional items. This election season’s crop of candidates hopes to raise funds for their White House runs by giving these products as a thank you to donating to their campaign. But what seem like a bizarre branded product could get a candidate some media attention and impressions during the caucus and primaries. With six Democrats and 15 Republicans in the race for president, these politicians could use some novel promotional items to stand out.

Six of the current presidential candidates made the ASI’s “Top 10 Wildest Presidential Primary Promo Products” list, which is a mouthful of alliteration to say out loud as well as a list of the oddest offerings so far this election season.

Some highlights from the list include:

• Bernie Sanders’ “Feel the Bern” coffee mug. In fact, the Democratic candidate’s store also includes a another cup design that reads: “Caution! Contents might cause a serious Bern.”
• A Rand Paul branded spy blocker to keep the National Security Agency and hackers from using the camera on your laptop. The piece of branded plastic with a Paul logo on it fits over the small camera found on some laptop computers.
• Presidential campaign coloring and activity books for Ted Cruz supporters.
• An “everyday pantsuit” T-shirt sold in Hillary Clinton’s campaign store featuring the catchphrase: “Bringing a whole new meaning to casual Friday” and a warning that it doesn’t come with a matching pair of pants.

Getting impressions
However you feel about this election cycle’s candidates, you must agree that their promotional offerings are pretty creative. In a field packed with politicians vying for the highest office in the nation, sometimes wacky products are needed to make an impression on voters.

“There’s no better way for a candidate to grab the public’s attention, especially in a crowded field, than with clever, catchy campaign gear designed to stick in the mind of voters,” Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of the ASI, said in a news release.

Plus, with all the serious arguments and debates that come every election cycle, the American voter could use some levity from these wild promotional items.