I have to admit, I have been having way too much fun looking at memes involving Bernie Sanders and his mittens.

In case you’ve been living under a rock and you don’t know what the Bernie Sanders mittens memes are all about, here’s a refresher.

It started with a funny enough real picture of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, socially distanced and a little cranky-faced on a folding chair on the Capitol steps in a drab winter jacket and big, brown mittens, arms and legs folded for warmth, glasses and paper mask at President Joe Biden’s inauguration. As soon as the world laid eyes on that image last Wednesday, it exploded across photoshopping screens and then the internet.

That photo of Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken the internet by storm, reaching a unique realm of virality and memeification.

As CNN noted, “Bernie Sanders has inadvertently provided us with something we have been robbed of for the past four years, good old fashioned laughter.

Whatever political party you pledge allegiance to, whatever your socio-economic background, immigration status, language, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion…there is a Bernie meme for you. Bernie Gangnam stylin’, Bernie with Chewbacca, or playing chess in the Queen’s Gambit. Bernie on the subway.”

It wasn’t soon after the pictures went viral that I said to myself, “why can’t I create some of these too?”

Using my graphic design skills and Canva.com, I set out to create my own Bernie memes.

I have seen many companies use these images in their marketing effectively, and I think it can be a great way to make yourself relevant and show your humorous side.

Now the election is over at the new president is in place, I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief and injecting some humor into your content marketing and social media efforts is not a bad idea.

Since I am in social media and have a few talents in graphic design, and Bernie Sanders and his mittens are trending right now, here are the lighthearted photos I created.

I simply took a photo of Bernie Sanders in the chair, uploaded it to Canva and then uploaded my own photos, inserted the original Bernie photo and used the background remover tool to strip out his background. I then played around with the scale of the image to make it as realistic as possible.

I know people with more advanced graphic design skills would do a much better job using Photoshop. But it can be easily done using a simple tool like Canva.

Sometimes social media can be great way to unite us especially after such a divisive and stressful period.

Look what IKEA did with Bernie in this ad – it’s cheeky and clever and fun – and exactly what we need right now.

Your social media posts don’t always have to be serious and self promotional. It’s not a bad idea to inject humor into your posts when it makes sense. In fact it really help enhance your brand, showcase your culture/less serious side and make you more likable as a brand.

Now how do I get myself a pair of those mittens!?