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Obama Selling Jackets In Times Square
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 7, 2010
Modified Jan 7, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 7, 2010
Modified Jan 7, 2010
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Recently PETA splashed Michelle Obama's image all over their Fur-Free ads in D.C., without permission — and now her husband's image is being used in an ad for a jacket company, also without White House approval.
Weatherproof Garment Company's billboard in Times Square features a photograph of the President on a recent trip to the Great Wall in China, where he's wearing one of their jackets. The ad declares: "A Leader In Style." The White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton told ABC News that they have "a longstanding policy disapproving of the use of the President’s name and likeness for commercial purposes," and will be asking the company to remove the campaign.
However, Weatherproof president Freddie Stollmack says they will be keeping the billboard up, and on top of that, are looking for new spots to put additional ones. He says, “we’re not demonstrating that Obama is endorsing our product. We are just basically very happy to see that after 100 years we finally got a stylish president.” And according to the Post, "he thinks the White House should congratulate his company on making Obama look so good."
Tagged
ad
billboard
jacket
obama
Times Square
unauthorized
Weatherproof Garment Company
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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