Obama as a Model

As if his presidential duties were not enough for him, Barack Obama has just taken on a new role – that of a model; a role that is, nevertheless, involuntary.

In fact, the 44th president has found himself on enormous billboards in Manhattan, notably in Times Square and on 7th Avenue, but also on the home page of the Weatherproof Garment Company at one time. This particular photo of Obama, disseminated by the Associated Press, was taken last November during his visit to China.

The White House does not appreciate that the president was used as an unwitting model for a brand known for its publicity stunts. Thursday, the White House was supposed to contact the Weatherproof Garment Company to ask that it take down its publicity billboards. “This campaign is dishonest,” explained the White House spokesperson, “because it allows us to assume that the president sponsors these clothes.”

The CEO of the clothing brand said that when he saw the photo of the 44th president, he ordered a high resolution version and, with a magnifying glass, checked that the name of his brand was clearly emblazoned on the zipper of the outfit Obama wore when visiting the Great Wall of China.

The enterprise tried to buy advertising space in the New York Times, the New York Post, and in Women’s Wear Daily, a professional publication, but all of these journals refused the visual.

The CEO of the Weatherproof Garment Company affirms that the executive has not contacted him. The lawyers the New York Times consulted affirm that, even though the ad campaign should have obtained authorization from the president, it is not certain that the White House would have the last word on the matter. The posters could actually be protected by the first amendment of the American Constitution relating to freedom of speech.

At the same time, Michelle Obama was the object of praise from the animal defense organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in one of its anti-fur campaigns. The First Lady asked that her named be retracted.