President Obama recently joked with reporters that he might serve Slurpees when he meets with new Republican House leadership. In response, 7-Eleven hit the road on a 14-day road trip to Washington, D.C., with five sampling trailers. The company hoped to host a "Slurpee Summit" in Washington on November 18.
Stops included Dallas; [image-nocss] Kansas City, Kansas; Jefferson City, St. Louis, Florissant, Mo.; Springfield, Chicago, Ill.; Detroit; Indianapolis; Albany, N.Y.; Boston; Long Island, N.Y., Richmond, Va.; and Washington, D.C.
Both parties downplayed the postponement of the meeting, saying it was simply a scheduling snafu and not an inauspicious start to the new power dynamic of Washington, The Los Angeles Times reported. The White House announced Tuesday night that leaders would now meet November 30. The change was requested by Republican leaders John Boehner, the soon-to-be speaker of the House, and Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, "due to scheduling conflicts in organizing their caucuses."
As part of the tour, the company has introduced a new Slurpee flavor, "Purple for the People," a blend of red and blue colors. With 14 stops along the way, the Unity Tour will be giving the American people free, full-size Slurpee drinks in choices of red, white, blue and purple.
"Ours certainly isn't postponed," Margaret Chabris, the director of 7-Eleven corporate communications, told the political blog Tuesday night. "We're still on. We're going to spread the Slurpee love with or without this meeting."
Chabris said the company is going ahead with plans to have Slurpee trucks outside of Union Station, where they will be handing out red, white and blue icy, sugary drinks as well as "Purple for the people" Slurpees.
The company will also sponsor an event Thursday evening, with live entertainment and Slurpees.
As of now, the company has no plans to travel back to town for the re-scheduled summit, Chabris added.
"We are still at their beck and call," she said. "If they want us to cater the Slurpee Summit or put Slurpee machines in the White House, we're there. We're still hopeful."
She added, "We have the 'audacity of hope'."
But even if Obama doesn't stop by, Chabris thought that perhaps soon-to-be Speaker John Boehner or other congressional leaders might wander over to their trucks, which will be parked near Capitol Hill on Thursday.
"You never know who might come over," she told Politico.
Follow the Slurpee Unity Tour's blog at www.unitytour.us, and click here for a gallery of photos .7-Eleven also has declared Friday, Novevember 26 as Slurpee Purple Friday. Consumers can download a coupon for a free small Slurpee on the Slurpee Facebook page.
(Andclick here for previous CSP Daily News coverage of 7-Eleven leveraging a "politicized" Slurpee.)
Meanwhile, Dallas-based La Quinta Inns & Suites joined up with 7-Eleven's Slurpee Unity Tour. La Quinta provided the Unity Tour hotel accommodations each night.
Dallas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,200 7-Eleven stores in North America.
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