Obama is the New Prada

Shirts, buttons, CDs, stickers—vendors can't keep candidate-themed gear on shelves
By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 17, 2008 12:12 PM CDT
Obama is the New Prada
Keika Albarado holds an Obama T-shirt at his store butigroove, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008 in Honolulu.    (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Sidewalk vendors have been quick to capitalize on the newest fashion trend: anything Obama. Putting the candidate's face or logo on merchandise—no matter if the product is related to the campaign—boosts sales tremendously, sellers tell the Boston Globe. Obama's face on an item "just says it's cool," one explains.

It's not that political gear in general has become more popular: not nearly as many consumers want John McCain mugs as Obama action figures and basketball jerseys.  From the $46 "Obama For Change" shirt worn by Halle Berry to mix tapes of Obama's speeches intercut with Jay-Z's raps, "They'll sell Obama anything."
(More Barack Obama stories.)

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