Oprah with Sen. Obama in Des Moines, IA, originally uploaded by Joe Crimmings Photography.

We are all under the influence of brands. Everyday we make decisions, based upon the power of a brand: for coffee, mp3 players, sneakers and now political campaigns. A celebrity endorsement is a marketing tool that has been widely used for years: Tiger with Nike, Vera Wang for HP, and Catherine Zeta-Jones with T-Mobile for example. Will a celebrity endorsement work for a political campaign? This weekend that was put to the test with Oprah and Obama hitting the campaign trails. Oprah electrified the crowds lending her support. Oprah is one of the most classic examples of personal branding. She lends her name, presence, influence, and credibility as she endorses Obama.  Does she have enough weight to impact voters? How effective is this as a marketing tool? More than 65,000 person attended the rallies this weekend according to the Obama campaign office. Oprah is genuine, believable and authentic in her endorsement. This will push the limit of her influence as a personal brand. Will it impact voters and increase Obama’s chances for the White House??? Only time will tell.

Lebron, originally uploaded by mwklawit.

I am a witness. I watched Lebron James put on a scoring display as he hit 48 points, the last 25 points, and 29 out of the last 30 points on my beloved Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It got me to thinking about the branding of athletes, but not just any athletes, Nike athletes. How much is a Nike athlete worth? Six of the top ten highest paid athletes are Nike athletes: Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Michael Jordan (who no longer plays basketball), Kobe Bryant, and Lance Armstrong. Nike pays their athletes unreal amounts of money, so that their unreal performances are captured and inked in history with the swoosh.

What comes to mind when you see the swoosh? Tiger winning his first Masters, Jordan winning his 6th world championship against Utah scoring over Byron Russell in the closing seconds, Kobe hitting 81 points on Toronto, or Lance Armstrong winning his 6th Tour De France. Is it the shoes? Do they make you perform better? Do you feel different? What imprint comes to mind when you think of Nike - dominance, victory, or power? Consumers spend unreal amounts of money for a piece of these athletes, their moments, and what they represent (athletically). Do the athletes make the brand value or does the value of the brand make the athlete?

Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama (by Evan Vucci/AP), originally uploaded by stijn v..

Political Rock Stars. Celebrities. Senators. Pioneers. Ivy-Leaguers.

The 2008 Democratic presidential primary has all the makings of a great media story. It has sex (gender), race, and politics at its core at a time when America is ready for a political change. How much will personality, charisma, perception, image and branding impact this political race?

We are under the influence of brands with almost every decision that we make. Brands simplify choices, reduce risk for the consumer, and allow consumers to make decisions with confidence. Brands are shortcuts in the decision-making process. Personal brand management will be a strong catalyst in this race.

Every successful brand has name recognition, brand image, brand positioning and a brand promise. Obama and Clinton possess them all. Which candidate has the stronger brand–the Harvard or Yale Alum? Would you vote based upon political platform or brand? And is America ready for sex (gender) or race?