New York: A larger-than-life President Obama became an unwilling model when his image was used by an outwear company "A Leader In Style."
Barack Obama became a presidential pitchman on a Times Square billboard that used his photo without permission. Outerwear company Weatherproof used a recent news photo of the President in front of the Great Wall in Badaling, China, for the advertisement, with the tagline "A Leader In Style."
White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said on Wednesday that the White House has a long-standing policy disapproving of the use of Obama's name and likeness for commercial purposes.
Obama stands alone in the image and is captured in a striking, rugged pose. Weatherproof president Freddie Stollmack said he first saw the photo in a newspaper while Obama was on his trip to China in November. The coat looked familiar, so Stollmack got out a magnifying glass and found the brand's logo.
The photo was taken by Charles Dharapak of The Associated Press and the company purchased the right to use it from AP Images, the news gathering organisation's commercial photo arm.
Weatherproof did not seek permission from the White House, nor does it believe it was necessary to do so since the billboard does not say Obama endorses the product.
"He didn't come to us. It's just a great looking jacket on a great looking president," Stollmack said.
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