Prototype Issue
Bikini Billboards on the Body Politic
By Viola Stephens
(page 1 of 2)“People want to show their beliefs. But merchandise available now is far too unhip to wear. I wanted something fashionable and attractive,” said the mid 30ish founder of Politikini.com
Indeed the possibilities seem endless when it comes to campaign merchandise. Even obscure items like Afghans, clocks, and baking pans in form of a donkey find their buyers in shops and virtual stores. Today’s technology allows everyone, who thinks of himself as creative, to invent products overnight. You don’t even need a shop. Websites like Yahoo, Go Daddy and EBay make you an overnight retailer.
“Nowadays you don’t have to be a designer to come up with products that sell”, says Alissa Allen, a tourism honcho from Fort Lauderdale. “The first time I saw people walking in a Politikini along our “Blue Wave beaches” I thought what a great idea! Finally politics catch the wave of the 21st century.”
Serrell-Watts’ biggest seller is the Obama-kini with golden or silver studs. This might be an indicator of Barack Obamas pull on the internet, being the only candidate able to collect vast contributions via his web site. The Clinton-Kini sells as well, she claims, and soon her line will be extended to the McCain-Kini, men’s swim trunks and personalized swim suits.
Isn’t this idea short-lived? “Who says that you only can support your favorite politician during election year”, she says.
The idea of inventing swimwear, or rather the “politkini”, that carries a political message by showing the candidate’s names on the bottom, is clearly unique. A niche that Serrell-Watts discovered around the time of the Californian Super-Tuesday while at the beach talking to her friends about who they will vote for.
“I think it is a terrific idea”, says Steve Gillis from Body Glove, one of the largest retailers for swimwear based in Canada who vacationed in Fort Lauderdale, observing politikini wearers. “Young people want to express themselves. “This is a pioneer effort in promoting a candidate”, adds Ame Max from Maxstudio, a Pasadena based company for women’s clothing, selling worldwide and online.
And online sales mean big money, especially when there are over 40 million voters between 18 and 30 years.
In fact, both campaigns show more than 100 items in their online stores, which have been up and running since last spring, with 100 percent of their sales going to the campaigns.
Meaghan Burdick, Obama campaign’s director of direct marketing, revealed to local media that more than $5 million had been raised from online store sales. Where as Brendan Gilfillan, press secretary for the Clinton campaign, would not say how much was raised from merchandise sales, but noted that “a big chunk” of the $20 million the campaign raised in the last month came from the online store.
But if you prefer merchandise with attitude and satire over “plain Jane” campaign-wear you should consider eBay, SexyPolitics.com or CafePress.com.
The California-based CafePress.com, by far the biggest political T-Shirt seller online, has over 6.5 million users uploading and selling their own designs.”Statistically Obama sells overall 45% of all political merchandise on our site, Hillary Clinton comes in second with 18%”, analysis Mark Griffin, head of public relations.
And who likes to approach politics via sexual characteristics should pay a playful visit to SexyPolitics.com. “Nato by Nature” and “Who is your Uncle” are just two logo T-Shirts which show, that politics can be as well sexy.
The idea of inventing swimwear, or rather the “politkini”, that carries a political message by showing the candidate’s names on the bottom, is clearly unique. A niche that Serrell-Watts discovered around the time of the Californian Super-Tuesday while at the beach talking to her friends about who they will vote for.
“T-Shirts have always been the biggest body billboard”, said celebrity designer Christian Audigier, who re-invented the T-Shirt with Ed Hardy tattoos.
Richard Jensen, retired history professor at the University of Illinois, states that until the 1890s, the only people who participated in political campaigns were the elite supporters on either side. There weren’t enough independents to make a difference.
In 1892, buttons were created in an effort to show which side a voter had chosen in the presidential contest between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. “Men, it was only men who wore the half-inch buttons then, wore them at work and chatted up their favorite candidate to their coworkers,” Jensen said. “They were a form of advertisement and they let people get involved in the campaign, hands on.”
“George Washington wore the first political button in 1789 at his first Inauguration in New York. These buttons were clothing buttons made of brass and proudly reading “G.W.-Long Live the President”, modeling the phrase “Long live the King,” said Jon Wade, former member of Richard Nixon’s advisory council.
It wasn’t until the 1860 campaign of Abraham Lincoln, that the likeness of a President was available for use on a metal round tintype picture with a hole punched in the top. By the way, this button you can buy today for nothing less than $650.
Then, in 1896 the famous Whitehead and Hoag Company patented the campaign button, a device made of 4 pieces sandwiched together. It was so popular that now, some 106 years later, buttons from the McKinley-Bryan race are still fairly common and can be bought for as little as $10.
Within a short period of time technology advanced rapidly, and with it came the possibility to produce a variety of merchandising articles. Today, screen printing, which soon will be taken over by digital printing, gives everyone the possibility to mass-produce inexpensive items for retail or private purposes.
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