Political candidates aren’t commercial products like Coca-Cola or Pepsi, but campaigns borrow many of the same principles, tactics, and strategies used to sell widgets to millions of Americans.
Since Republican Donald Trump entered politics, the influence of marketing and branding has only become more prominent. While political swag has always existed, some have become icons of merchandising and branding, like Dwight Eisenhower’s “I Like Ike” buttons. Many support a candidate by getting a commemorative mug, and that bit of presidential merch goes as far back as 1801 with US President Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson’s supporters even had banners. While Jefferson’s flags may have lacked the puerile humor of “Let’s Go Brandon,” they did feature some trash talk against rival John Adams, albeit with a far more polite “Adams is no more.”
