7-Eleven:
Slurpee Unity Tour
When the President name-drops your brand, you don’t stay on the sidelines — you hit the road. Slurpees in hand.
After President Obama joked about sharing a Slurpee with new Republican House Speaker John Boehner, we launched the Slurpee Unity Tour — a bipartisan road trip from 7-Eleven HQ in Dallas to a free Blues Traveler concert in Washington, D.C.
Along the way, we handed out thousands of limited-edition “Purple for the People” Slurpees, racked up 1.7 billion media impressions, and even got a shoutout from Bloomberg’s Hans Nichols — the reporter who first floated the “Slurpee Summit” idea.
🏆 Cannes Lion Shortlist, Best Integrated Campaign Led by PR
Cannes Lion Shortlist, Best Use of Media Relations
Best Promotion of 2011, Promo Magazine
Print Regional Design Annual
Best Use of Public Relations in a Promotion Campaign, Promo Magazine
Best Campaign Generating Brand Awareness, Promo Magazine
Best of Show Dallas Addy Award
Gold Dallas ADDY Award, Non-Traditional Advertising
Gold Dallas ADDY Award, Poster ("Party Animals")
Gold Dallas ADDY Award, Newspaper ("Party Animals")
Silver Dallas ADDY Award, Newspaper ("Slurpee Summit")
Bronze Dallas ADDY Award, Poster ("Slurpee Summit")
Bronze Reggie, National Consumer – Budget under $1 million
One presidential joke sparked a 1,500-mile road trip, a new Slurpee flavor, and a full-blown media frenzy.
Key Takeaways
✔ Turned a presidential joke into a national campaign with bipartisan spirit and Slurpee-fueled buzz
✔ Rolled out a road trip activation from Dallas to D.C., culminating in a free Blues Traveler concert
✔ Generated over 1.7 billion media impressions and became one of the year’s most talked-about brand moments