Obama Watches Is Running out of Time
Obama Watches, the internet memorabilia company whose watches are in the permanent collections of two popular Washington, DC museums, the Smithsonian Institution and The Newseum, will stop making new Obama watches on December 26, 2009. Since it launched the Original Obama Watch in January, 2008, Obama Watches has produced 15 different watches celebrating the candidacy and election of America’s 44th President.
“We’re winding down our business,” said Jack Goldenberg, President, Einstein, da Vinci & Goldenberg, Inc., the makers of Obama Watches. “We’ve had a great run, but it’s time to stop. This will be out second and last Christmas.”
The expected closing of Obama Watches (www.obamawatches.com) has encouraged Obama fans to put the popular collectibles on their holiday short list. Sales of Obama watches for Chanukah and Christmas gifts is triple what it was last year. “People are buying four watches at one time,” said Goldenberg. ”And it’s often the same watch.”
Obama Watches did not start out as a popular collectible. They started out a single watch worn to a friend’s party in late 2007 as part of a one-person campaign to elect Barack Obama. New Jersey advertising Creative Director Goldenberg, knew he had a hit on his hands (well, literally on his wrist) when, the next day, five friends called to ask, “Where can I get of those Obama watches?” Goldenberg said.
Goldenberg teamed up with Kevin Glennon, a Boston-based interactive producer, using Obama Watches to create a viral campaign to support Barack Obama. Viral marketing uses a pre-existing social network to increase brand awareness.
To spread the “virus,” which is a good thing in marketing, Goldenberg and Glennon gave watches to prominent “sneezers,” well-known people whose approval of a product was likely to encourage others to buy it. They biggest coup was getting three Obama watches to George Clooney, including the popular “Love Your Mama. Vote Obama.” watch which the film star reportedly gave to his mother, Nina Clooney. They also gave Obama Watches to Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, and to other well-known celebrities.
During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Obama watches were given to prominent politicians including Senator Joe Biden, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and PA Governor Ed Rendell. Everyone who received an Obama watch was asked to spread the message,”It’s time for a change.”
A member of the Democratic National Committee asked Goldenberg to give an Obama watch to then-Senator Barack Obama. At a July, 2008 findraiser in Philadelphia, Goldenberg tried to hand five Obama watches to candidate Obama, but the Secret Service quickly grabbed them out of Goldenberg’s hands. They were whisked away, and after a 15-minute inspection, a member of the Secret Service returned with the five watches, handed them to an Obama aide and said to Goldenberg,”Pretty cool watches.”
Two Obama watches that regularly sell-out are the “President Obama People’s Inaugural Watch” and the “Time for a Change” watch. Other popular watches include the “Barack ‘n Roll” watch, favored by young people, and the “Time for a Change We Can Believe In” watch. In the past, when a style sold out, Goldenberg just produced more of them. After December 26, Obama watch styles that sell out will go out of production. “It will make our watches more valuable if we stop producing them,” Goldenberg said.
The watches were a big hit at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last year, selling out a three-day supply in the first day of sale. Goldenberg attributes the success of his venture to the deep support for Obama’s candidacy and a slogan that rang true with Obama supporters. “Obama Watches are guaranteed to be more accurate than George Bush and more trustworthy than Dick Cheney.”
After producing 9 watches celebrating Obama’s historic run for the Presidency and 3 Inaugural Watches, Obama Watches ran out of subject matter that seemed pertinent to even the most ardent Obama supporters. So, the final two Obama Watches celebrated a less serious side of Obama mania: the company released the “Bo The First Puppy,” “In Bones We Trust” watch and a Limited Edition Obama watch celebrating a mythical Obama support group, “Llamas for Obama.”
Less than 200 of the ”Llamas for Obama” watches were produced and the watch was never sold on the Obama Watches Web site.
