After President Obama jokingly suggested at Wednesday’s day-after-election press conference that he might hold a “Slurpee Summit” with the new Republican leadership, 7-Eleven is vying to make the summit a reality, USA Today reported.
“This is a rare opportunity for a brand,” said Margaret Chabris, a spokeswoman for 7-Eleven, which owns 44-year-old Slurpee. “We don’t want to be opportunistic, but nothing has ever been this big for Slurpee.”
During recent campaign speeches, Obama said Republicans stood around drinking Slurpees while Democrats did the hard legislative work. Now, Slurpee’s working to make itself a drink that brings people together.
Negotiations are reportedly in motion. White House officials were contacted late Wednesday by officials representing 7-Eleven with a proposal for the Slurpee brand to cater a Slurpee Summit between key Democrats and Republicans at the location of President Obama’s choice.
“If the president wants a Slurpee Summit, we’re offering to cater it with red and blue Slurpees – and we’ll even offer a purple Slurpee, since that’s what you get when you bring red and blue together,” Chabris told USA Today.
7-Eleven’s request to the White House was made via the public relations firm New Partners, which has many employees who worked on the Obama campaign in 2008.
Tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 5) 7-Eleven plans to place an ad in national newspapers that plays off the idea of Slurpees bringing people together, Chabris noted. One concept in discussion is a picture of a purple Slurpee with a red straw and a blue straw sticking out. Slurpee is re-evaluating its brand strategy and now looking at a new theme to be a drink that “brings people together,” Chabris said.
Consultant David Aaker told USA Today, that if a summit actually does occur it will be worth tens of millions of dollars in free advertising for the brand. Strategy guru Mark Coopersmith agreed, saying Slurpee should turn immediately to social media, urging folks to have “Slurpee Summits” to solve problems. Coopersmith added, “How often do you get the leader of the free world to associate your brand with all of these positive elements?”