Business of Fashion reports that spending on campaign merchandise by American presidential candidates has reached unprecedented heights.
According to the article, Barack Obama spent $1.3 million to make t-shirts, posters and bumper stickers in 2008, which ultimately raised $37 million for his campaign. As of May 2016, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Hilary Clinton have spent $8.5 million, $4.7 million, and 1.4 million respectively.
Legally, candidates can’t profit personally from the sale of campaign merchandise; however, 100% of each sale can be registered as a campaign donation. What’s more, campaign swag has come to be regarded as an important channel for data collection, as well as a means of “marketing presidential candidates as brands.”
Interestingly, candidates are free to price their merchandise as they please, which can lead to exceptionally high markups. For instance, Trump’s now infamous “Make America Great Again” trucker hats cost 40% more than the manufacturer’s unbranded version.
You can read more about the astronomical rise in presidential campaign merchandise spending over at Business of Fashion.
