Not joining the five million Americans heading to Washington for Barack Obama's inauguration? Feeling excluded from the party? You're in luck! An American ice cream maker is bringing the party to you. Ben & Jerry's has produced a new ice cream with a name that echoes Mr Obama's famous rallying cry, “Yes, we can!” The new flavour - are you ready? - is Yes, Pecan!

Like all great American inventions, this one looks set to grip the imagination of politically minded entrepreneurs across the world. There is already talk of an ice cream being readied for Alistair Darling's Budget. Its name? Cookie the Books. Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, will be getting his own branded scoop, too: the flavour is called Sinking Pound Cake.

Russia's oligarchs are fêted with Oleg Cherry Paska ice cream (served with Mandelson or Osborne sprinkles), and the Tory leader David Cameron with Toff-ee Cream (in stores by May 2010). America's outgoing Administration is honoured with Rumsfeld and Raisin (flavour currently known to be unknown), while the Republicans' 2012 presidential hopeful is preparing her campaign with an ice cream called Sarah Praline: it has a subtly nutty tang, spiked with a shot of vodka that transports you to Russia from your front room. An ice cream acknowledging the disgraced American financier, Bernard Madoff, was originally scheduled to be mint-flavoured, though now it's no longer minted.

But it is not only the ice cream world that is milking this new punning marketing opportun- ity. Also on the cards is a new showerproof trenchcoat, branded The Clinton. It works like this: you still get wet in rain, but you don't in hail.