Oxford News

Move over Tiger Woods, and take that NIKE swoosh with you because there's a new marketing giant in town.

President-elect Barack Obama not only won the White House with a convincing victory over Republican John McCain, but the Democrat is taking over Madison Avenue, too.

Think of "change" and "hope" and who comes to mind?

Americans everywhere, including in Butler and Warren counties, are clamoring for all things Obama.

Just as he has sparked unprecedented interest in presidential politics, he likewise created a thirst among Americans for all manner of merchandise and collectibles bearing his image.

Consider that on Friday afternoon, Nov. 28, there were nearly 12,000 Obama-related items for sale and up for bids on eBay, from newspapers, posters, magazines and books to T-shirts, mugs, collectible coins and hats.

For $100, own an Obama dancing doll "still in the package."

Numerous Time magazines, with Obama on the cover after the election, were for sale from $9.99 to $14.99.

You could also buy commemorative front pages from the New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

Cox Ohio, which owns the Middletown Journal, sold Obama presidential posters for $1, and reported sales of more than 1,500 after the second week.

The company has sold more than 3,000 additional copies of the Nov. 5 edition of the Dayton Daily News, with sales between 100 to 200 a day.

Jay Junker, owner of Dr. Jay's Print Shop in Trader's World Flea Market, called Obama merchandise "a great seller."

Junker, a Democrat, started offering Obama items last spring, and he said sales have gotten stronger every month. The hottest item, he said, is a T-shirt that he designed with his 15-year-old son, Bryce, a sophomore at Monroe High School.

The shirt features a likeness of Dr. Martin Luther King and Obama and reads: "The Dream Lives On."

Junker also sold Hillary Clinton and McCain items, but neither was a popular as Obama.

"They're on the clearance rack," he said of the former presidential candidates.

Gillian Oakenfull, associate professor of marketing at Miami University, said the influx of Obama merchandise can be traced either to his fundraising efforts or peoples' desires to show their support, much like a fan to their favorite sports team.

"People want to be affiliated with him," she said Friday, Nov. 21. "They want to be a part of it, and one way to do that, is to buy it."

She said Obama's campaign team created a brand and "stuck with it."

She added: "Ultimately, that's what you want to do."

Oakenfull said her 2-year-old son is a perfect example of the success of Obama's marketing machine.

She purchased a child's book on Obama's life, and whenever Obama appears on TV, her son recognizes him.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.