Spiderman to Pepsi: Barack Obama sells

President Obama and Spiderman give each other dap

Barack Obama has well and truly cemented his place in the cultural zeitgeist. Jon Stewart remarked on this even before he was elected as President when the Obama likeness was used to sell cars.

Now Spiderman and Pepsi are in on the act. They do distance themselves slightly from Obama so as to not alienate consumers.
Pepsi defending it's new logo and branding

Yes, We Can (Try to Hop on the Obama Marketing Bandwagon)
Officials from Pepsi insist that their product’s new look and message in no way is intended to copy Obama’s message, but rather to align their product with the mood of the country right now.

“Pepsi has always stood for youthful exuberance and optimism, which is reflected in our new campaign like never before,” Pepsi spokeswoman Nicole Bradley told ABC News. “We can't speak to the president-elect's design sensibilities, but we're all over his prevailing spirit of optimism. That's as refreshingly bipartisan as it gets."

Marvel Comics justifies why they issued a SpiderMan/Obama Inauguration Comic

Spider-Man Comic Starring Obama Sells Out in Record Numbers Nationwide
Steve Wacker, an editor who worked on the issue, told FOXNews.com that Marvel Comics decided to write the story after learning that Obama collected Spider-Man comics as a child.

"It's less of a political statement than it is of a 'Spidey' fan made good," Wacker said.

Crassness in advertising is not new. Politicians crafting themselves on a message of "change" is also not new. However Obama has executed this so well and has created such a buzz that he has become an emblem ripe for appropriation. When it comes to politicians as with advertising, the 'promise' is often more appealing than the 'delivery'.

It is in this landscape before Obama takes office where you will see these ads at its most effective. It remains an astonishing feat that Obama has already become such a potent icon even before taking office.

As Jon Stewart facetiously said of Obama's marketing appeal prior to the election

Obama's Car Commercial
In this country you have to prove yourself before you're attached to big big savings.