After President Barack Obama took the oath of office today, The New Yorker sent gift baskets to 17 New York advertising agencies. Rather than produce a large and lavish event, Melissa Meyer, the magazine’s special events director, decided to celebrate the inauguration with a customized promotion.
“This is the first step in a national agency outreach we have planned for the entire year, and it is a cost-effective way to reach the most amount of clients possible,” said Meyer. This is Meyer's first inauguration with The New Yorker, and the publication's first inaugural delivery of this kind. The baskets include bipartisan gourmet snacks such as “Mints We Can Believe In,” Chicago’s Garret Gourmet Popcorn, Obama’s favorite smoked sea salt caramels from Fran's Chocolates in Seattle, and a selection of American cheeses. Aside from food, the 45 baskets each contain a custom designed political poster of Rea Irvin’s Eustace Tilley (the magazine's mascot) on archival paper, and a copy of next week’s inauguration issue.
