White House Asks Weatherproof To Remove Obama Billboard
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
The controversy surrounding a larger-than-life photo of President Barack Obama is stretching from Times Square to the White House.
Aides to the president are asking the company Weatherproof to remove its billboard in Times Square, which features a photo of the president in front of the Great Wall of China. The advertisement features the tagline "a leader in style."
The White House says the billboard implies the Obama approved the product – adding there is a long-standing policy against using the president’s name and likeness for commercial purposes.
Weatherproof purchased the rights to the photo from the Associated Press.
The clothing company's president says he did not think it was necessary to seek approval from the White House, since he says Obama does not directly endorse the product.
The first lady is in a similar situation. Without being asked, Michelle Obama was featured in an ad campaign for the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.