Elections loom in North America, and one of the main differences between the big chairs up for grabs in Canada (tomorrow) and the U.S.(three weeks) is that while even most Canadians don't give two hoots on a tinwhistle about the vote in their country, EVERYONE wants to get in on the Obama vs. McCain smackdown pay-per-view.
This one comes from buddy Matt Gillis in Maryland, who writes:
"I walked into my
friendly neighborhood 7-11 this morning – yes, I have become a bit of a fan of the working man's coffee. As I
stepped up to the coffee bar to pour my own, I am presented with a choice
that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before at 7-11. I can pick the McCain
cup, or the Obama cup (see picture).
"7-11 is actually becoming a sort of
‘polling station’ during election times. Brilliant marketing I say – people are
walking around town making a political statement with their cup of coffee.
Forget bumper stickers. Every day people drink coffee and are now carrying
around their bumper stickers.
"And the icing on the
cake…when I paid at the cashier, she put a sticker on my shirt proclaiming that
I voted.
"So, now that I am so
engulfed in this great marketing campaign, I just came home and am surfing the
7-11 website (honestly, why on earth would I ever go there before?!?!). Check out www.7-election.com
"If you believe the results here (all cups have a unique UPC and are scanned at the cash)– this election is going to be an Obama landslide."
...or that at least Obama has captured the "working man's coffee vote." I think Matt hits the nail on the head when he says "Why on earth would I ever go to the 7-11 site before?" Many marketers try to "ride the wave" during an election year with everything from selling memorabilia (I've seen Republican and Democrat dog biscuits) to silly sales themes, but this one combines a bit of class with its crassness. Given 7-11's past history with this program, this may be more accurate than one thinks...
It's Terra Firma For Obama
Going from micro to macro, like the credit crisis, the election takes on a global spin with "If The World Could Vote," a website that showcases, country-by-country as well as world-wide aggregate, what the U.S. resutls would be if left up to the other citizens of the planet. You don't need to buy anything to participate in this one, but the results are equally as landslidingly startling (if things don't go well for McCain in his homeland, he can always become ruler-for-life in Burkina Faso).