Eli's Cheesecake, Ben & Jerry's, Chick-fil-A: Retail Industry Election Day Promo Bests

Obama swept the Electoral College, and election day promotions swept through the retail industry yesterday. Which retailers won the popular vote for their promotions? Here are some of the outstanding nominees.

Most Unlikely and Unrelated Election Day Promo: Free tattoo eradication session at New Look Laser Tattoo Removal, Dallas Texas

Which was higher? The number of old boyfriend and girlfriend names that were removed from skin yesterday or the number of Republicans who were removed from the House and Senate? The race was too close to call.

Best Patriotic Promo: Free red, white and blue dessert at Park 52 Restaurant, Chicago, IL

Red velvet cake with white cream cheese frosting and fresh blueberries doesn’t really sound appetizing, but not everything related to politics is easy to stomach.

Most Melodic Election Day Promo: Half price tickets to “Guys and Dolls” at Portland Center Stage, Portland, OR

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of musical theater – I get the connection.

Best Tasting Election Day Promo: Free slice of cheesecake at Eli’s Cheesecake, Chicago, IL

If you’ve ever eaten Eli’s cheesecake, then you know.

Most Erotic Election Day Promo: Free adult toys at Babeland, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle

Different people deal with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in different ways. Viva la difference!

Most Healthy Election Day Promo: Free flu shots at 280 polling sites in 42 states

There's nothing like getting jabbed with a needle to punctuate an historic moment!

Consumers were treated to free Starbucks coffee, free Chick-fil-A sandwiches, free Krispy Kreme donuts, free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, half-price haircuts, discount clothing, free yogurt, free pizza, free ribs, free beer, free cupcakes, free car washes and free bus rides. The day was festive. The energy was high. For a brief moment in time, the entire nation seemed to feel the empowerment that comes just from participating.

There were many takeaways with these giveaways for retailers. It was easy to see that people are looking for a reason to be happy and looking for an excuse to celebrate. So, if consumers already have the idea in their head that Christmas is going to be a bust, then retailers would do well to give people a different reason to be merry and a different excuse to celebrate.

November is National Peanut Butter Month, and November 14th is the official birthday of the teddy bear. December 10th is Nobel Peace Prize Day, and December 15th is National Firefighters Day. There are plenty of offbeat promotion possibilities to be found in the minor holidays that are usually ignored. Be different, capture headlines, get noticed, and make sales. It's a winning formula that worked well for one president-elect we all know.