Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) has quietly rebranded a piece of campaign merchandise that riffed on the popular nicotine pouch Zyn, after the product's parent company reportedly demanded she stop using its trademark.
The Blue Dog Democrat initially launched a puck-shaped storage tin in early September, emblazoned with the punny label “GLUE-ZYN-KAMP,” a nod to both her surname and the brand's iconic circular packaging. But by Thursday, Gluesenkamp Perez announced the item had been replaced with a new version that drops the “Zyn” reference entirely, instead reading “Marie for Congress.”
“Yes, we made more. Now with our limited-edition grille logo and hopefully fewer lawyers,” she wrote on social media, sharing photos of the redesigned tins. The new containers retain the same $50 price point as their predecessor but now come in green and black, and feature a “Teamster Made” logo.
The change follows a complaint from Philip Morris International, Zyn's parent company. A spokesperson for the tobacco giant told Oregon Public Broadcasting that the original product “violates our ZYN trademark” and that the campaign had been asked to “cease and desist using it.”
Gluesenkamp Perez, who represents Washington's 3rd Congressional District, is one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House this cycle. The district has backed former President Trump in the last three presidential elections, and national Republicans have made it a top pickup opportunity in their bid to hold the chamber.
The congresswoman has leaned into a centrist brand, frequently breaking with her party. In September, she joined Republicans in supporting a procedural rule that advanced a package of proposals, including a Russian sanctions bill that most Democrats opposed. It was her second defection that month, drawing criticism from fellow Democrats, though party leaders have avoided punishing her in hopes of retaining the seat.
Her November rematch against state Sen. John Braun is rated a toss-up, with Braun holding a narrow 2-point lead in the latest Cook Partisan Voting Index.
The kerfuffle over the Zyn-inspired merch is unlikely to move the needle in the race, but it underscores the campaign's willingness to court attention through cultural touchstones while navigating the legal boundaries of trademark law.
