DALLAS -- Just two days after President Obama jokingly told a reporter he liked the idea of serving Slurpees during an upcoming meeting with incoming House Speaker Ohio Rep. John Boehner, and referred to it as "a very delicious drink," 7-Eleven Inc. on Friday dispatched its Slurpee trucks to Capitol Hill to share the iconic frozen beverage with the American people.
The "Slurpee Unity Tour 2010" will make stops at capital cities along the way from 7-Eleven's headquarters in Dallas to Washington, D.C. Fans can keep track of the tour's pit stops at the Slurpee Facebook page or on Twitter @slurpee #slurpeeunity.
While mixing and matching flavors is a standard practice of loyal Slurpee fans, the convenience retailer said people on the Slurpee truck route can join in on the mixing gig as well -- either showing their patriotic colors by mixing red, white or blue Slurpee drinks, or showing their unity by choosing the new flavor created by 7-Eleven for the occasion, "Purple for the People."
On its Slurpee Web site, www.slurpee.com, 7-Eleven had this to say about the new flavor: "Purple for the People is like casting a vote for tastebud reform. A true patriot, it'll not only reach across the aisle, it'll tap dance on over, too. But it's only available on the official Slurpee Unity Tour 2010, so get your unified fanny on over there!!"
For those fans who can't make it to the tour, the convenience store chain is inviting them to post their own unity comment, story, picture or video on the Slurpee Facebook page.
"We are not surprised by President Obama's comments about Slurpee, which is non-partisan and has been bringing people together for more than 40 years," 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto said in a statement. "We have made an offer to the White House to install Slurpee machines and to host a Slurpee Summit."
As reported by CSNews Online, 7-Eleven has reached out to White House officials with a proposal for the Slurpee brand to cater a Slurpee Summit between key Democrats and Republicans. 7-Eleven's request was made via public relations firm New Partners, which has several employees who worked on the Obama campaign in 2008.
Obama's comment last week is not the only nod he's given to Slurpee. During multiple campaign speeches leading up to Tuesday's mid-term election, the president said Republicans stood around drinking Slurpees while Democrats did the hard legislative work.
When asked about the prospect of Republican leaders holding a Slurpee Summit with Obama, Boehner said in an interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News that he looks forward to meeting with the president -- though not necessarily at a Slurpee Summit.
"I don't know about a Slurpee. How about a glass of Merlot?" Boehner said.
7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,200 stores in North America.
