Food Companies Ride Obama Inauguration Publicity Wave

(MoneyWatch)  Companies are doing their best to cash in on the excitement over Obama's historic election, selling everything from Obama hot sauce to Obama toilet paper, and even Obama sex toys (h/t Salon.com).

Within the food industry, PepsiCo has been the most brazen. Its new advertising theme is "refresh everything," and it has a website inviting users to upload messages to the new president. In D.C. Pepsi has billboards with slogans like "Yes You Can," and the New York Times named Pepsi and Ikea as two of the biggest promoters during the 2009 inauguration, which one ad man dubbed "the Super Bowl of Washington D.C."

Additionally, PepsiCo division Quaker Oats enlisted the help of blogger moms to host inauguration-viewing parties, which will also promote Quaker's campaign to give the needy up to one million bowls of oatmeal.

A similar advertising phenomenon occurred around the Reagan campaign, American Association of Advertising Agencies Senior Vice President Adonis Hoffman told NPR, "but my recollection [is] -- and I was around during those days -- not anything as widespread as what we've seen with President-elect Obama's brand and messaging and the resonance that it has had -- with commercial marketers."

T.G.I. Friday's is attempting to host "the world's largest inauguration party," Hennessy is selling a limited edition Hennessy 44 in honor of the 44th president, and Ben & Jerry's has released a new flavor called "Yes Pecan."

Starbucks, on the other hand, is looking not at what Obama can do for its customers, but at what its customers can do for Obama. After the soon-to-be-President called upon Americans to do community service, the coffee chain started offering free coffee in exchange for promises to volunteer at least five hours this year.

Krispy Kreme accidentally sparked a ridiculous controversy when it put out a press release offering "a free donut of choice to every customer on this historic day." The reference to "choice" led to accusations that Krispy Kreme was actually trying to "celebrate Obama with pro-abortion donuts."

Finally, on the cheap and lazy side of things, Domino's tried to cash in on inauguration publicity with as little effort as possible. The company polled people online about whether they planned to attend the inauguration, and then put out a press release announcing that, of the 20,000 who replied to the unscientific survey, "an astounding 30 percent said they'd be faking stomach flu and calling in sick that day to watch the festivities." And oh, by the way, the press release added, our new oven baked sandwiches would be really delicious and convenient to order during said festivities.