White House Vs. Benetton

The White House has joined the Vatican in expressing displeasure at Benetton's wildly viral ad campaign. But unlike the Vatican, the White House is more concerned with copyright issues.

The White House isn’t feeling very kissy toward Benetton, after the publicity-loving clothing company photo-shopped President Obama into an ad smooching Chinese leader Hu Jintao and Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. "The White House has a long-standing policy disapproving of the use of the president's name and likeness for commercial purposes," deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said in a statement. The ads feature manipulated images of Obama kissing Chavez and Hu — and throws in pictures of Pope Benedict XVI canoodling with a top Egyptian imam — the point being international solidarity and love, as befits the brands “United Colors” campaign.

Early in his administration, the White House threatened legal action against a coat manufacturer when it posted a Times Square billboard showing that the president had worn their jacket.