Sales of Biden Campaign Merchandise Soar Thanks to the Popular ‘Dark Brandon’ Character
President Joe Biden’s campaign merchandise is being driven by the popularity of “Dark Brandon,” an internet alter ego of the president. According to Axios, over 54% of the revenue from campaign merchandise comes from “Dark Brandon”-themed products. The best-selling items are the “Dark T-Shirt” and “Dark Roast Mug,” with nine “Dark Brandon”-themed products in total. These products have accounted for 44% of all store orders and driven almost 76% of website clicks. “Dark Brandon” originated from the slogan “Let’s go Brandon,” which is a conservative euphemism used to criticize the president. The slogan became popular after a NASCAR race in which a reporter misinterpreted a crowd chant. Chinese artist Yang Quan created illustrations of Biden as an evil and powerful figure with glowing eyes, which were co-opted by the Biden team and spread as memes on Twitter. The campaign plans to release more “Dark Brandon” merchandise, including a tank top and color-changing mug.
