Brand Obama

© Reuters: Japan's Obama action figure, complete with flag accesories and working microphone

Having already touched on the capacity for a big brand to capitalise on Obama’s commencement in office, I just came across the Telegraph’s brilliant collection of other marketing devices that have appeared over the last couple of weeks. And not just in the US – Obamania has gone global.

Check out the Telegraph feature here.

My personal favourites were Ben and Jerry’s  ‘Yes Pecan!’ ice cream (if you don’t get it, remember that for our US cousins, pecan is pronounced pe-can), and the Ikea Oval Office, complete wih FBI security. Awesome.

Free-throw Obamania from Nike

Nike's Jordan brand Obama shoes hit the Atlanta Hawks court

Synergy CEO Tim Crow recently blogged about the huge number of companies and brands capitalizing on the inauguration festivities taking the US (and the world) by storm this week.

Another one to add to the pile is Nike, who provided Atlanta Hawks guards Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby with special shoes, in honour of President Barack Obama’s entry into office, courtesy of Nike’s “Jordan Brand.”

Both pairs of red, white and blue shoes were customized for each player, complete with their personal logos. The date, Jan. 20, 2009, was also included to commemorate the historical moment.

When unveiling the new shoes to the US media, Jordan said, “They look pretty good to me,”  before breaking into a wide smile: “Really good.”

If anyone hears of any other cute Obamania marketing stories, I’d love to hear them.