President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats are, in the view of some ad specialty industry leaders, the most successful promotional product of the 21st century.

Now, the United States’ 45th president will reportedly soon start offering a new product that’s especially reflective of America’s predicament in spring 2020: branded face masks.

Unofficial Trump cotton face mask available on eBay.

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to rage across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that wearing face masks/coverings in public can help limit the spread of COVID-19.

Against that backdrop, the Trump reelection campaign has ordered branded masks that it plans to give away at events and/or sell in return for donations, according to media reports.

As of afternoon May 4, no masks or face coverings were available in the official Trump campaign web store. Unofficial Trump-branded masks/face coverings could be found on e-commerce sites such as eBay and Etsy.

Unofficial Trump/Pence face covering available from Social Grandma on Etsy.

The Trump campaign’s focus on masks is part of what media reports indicate is a broader push to win the approval of senior citizen voters.

Some polls show that presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden currently leads Trump among that age demographic. Beyond masks, the courting of seniors will include a television ad campaign.

Biden’s official web store did not have masks for sale. As with Trump, however, supporters of the former vice president can buy unofficial Biden masks/face coverings on e-commerce sites.

Unofficial Biden mask available from Majorhypestudioes on Etsy.

As Counselor has previously detailed, never have promotional products played such a central role for presidential candidates. In the 2020 primary election cycle, for example, candidates used swag to help build their personal brands, raise vital funds and gather data about supporters that could be used to fuel advertising and marketing efforts. As a result, presidential merchandise has been elevated from afterthoughts for campaigns to strategic tools that have a say in who becomes the nation’s next chief executive.

Meanwhile, Trump’s reported decision to release official masks is another sign that demand for branded masks is poised to rise considerably as the nation begins to slowly reopen and face coverings continue to be required or recommended. Entities that range from musical acts to professional sports teams have already started selling branded masks.