Ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho are cashing in on the poll fever, selling ‘election clothing‘ such as t-shirts, caps and sweatshirts with messages such as ‘NaMo Hat Trick’, referring to Prime Pinister Narendra Modi, and ‘Rahul is Hope’, referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
“At least two dozen sellers have onboarded different ecommerce platforms with election merchandise. We are consistently getting requests from sellers as the election momentum builds up,” said an executive at a large ecommerce platform asking not to be named. Amazon, specifically, is selling merchandise under a ‘Wear Your Opinion’ franchise on the online platform.
Independent retailers and brand licensee companies are betting on newer and younger voters and building up the voting hype to retail a diversified range of political merchandise straddling trendy, premium apparel to mass-priced key chains, car and house flags, lamps and clocks.
Brand licensing company Black White Orange is launching premium apparel with messages such as ‘How to be an Inkfluencer’ or ‘I want you to vote for India’ under its brand A47. Bhavik Vora, chief executive and founder of BWO said, “For the first time, election merchandise sector is taking off in India with the 2024 polls, an industry that is massive in the US.” He said Gen Z and social media are influencers and are playing a huge role to promote messaging that it is trendy and cool to vote.
In the US, already, ‘election clothing’ merchandise with messaging such as ‘Vote Biden 2024’ and ‘Trump Facts: 2024’ are flooded on online platforms ahead of the presidential elections in November. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which will stake claim for a third consecutive term, has begun selling caps, t-shirts, mugs on its NaMo app. The app is selling t-shirts, badges, caps, stationery and mugs with PM Modi’s name. Apart from the prominent parties led by BJP, followed by the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party to a smaller extent, others too have joined the fray.Spokespersons at Amazon and Meesho declined to comment.Another executive at a large ecommerce platform said: “Sellers with merchandise representing regional parties such as Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party too are approaching us. A lot of the salience of such products is also happening in smaller Indian cities, since these are small-ticket items but high on jingoism.”
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