President's viral marshmallow cannon video good for Home Depot | Business

ATLANTA -- Somewhere in Atlanta, The Home Depot Inc. marketing execs are swapping fist bumps, right now. A video of a White House science fair is going viral, treating thousands of viewers to a perfect plug for the hardware retail chain.

In the video, published on Whitehouse.gov, President Barack Obama quizzes an Arizona eighth-grader, Joey Hudy, on his homemade, air-pressure-powered marshmallow gun, an impressive-looking device assembled out of plastic pipes, a pressure gauge and a wood cradle.

About 45 seconds into the conversation, Joey explained how he put together the high-pressure chamber. "The people at Home Depot helped me build this part," he says, gesturing to plastic tubes colored a familiar shade of orange.

Later, Hudy fired the marshmallow cannon. The resulting pop, and Obama's surprised reaction, have been picked up by dozens of blogs and news outlets. The event was part of a "Science Fair," in which Obama invited junior high school students to show off their science exhibits in the White House Dining Room.

With a market cap of $69 billion, Atlanta-based Home Depot is worth more than twice as much as its nearest rival,Lowe's Companies Inc. Home Depot's 2010 revenue totaled $68 billion. Fourth-quarter earnings are scheduled for Feb. 21.