than-life President Barack Obama became a presidential pitchman Wednesday 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 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. 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. Meanwhile, the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently debuted a new ad campaign featuring Michelle Obama - and also did not ask for the first lady's consent. Those ads are appearing in Washington's Metro stations, magazines and PETA's Web site.
