Posted on 01/31/2009 8:02:55 AM PST by COUNTrecount
Barack Obama’s popularity makes him a marketer’s dream. Now, the honeymoon may be over for those trying to profit from his appeal.
White House lawyers want to control the use of the president’s image, recognizing the worldwide fascination about Obama’s election, First Amendment free-speech rights and easy access to videos and photos on the Web.
“Our lawyers are working on developing a policy that will protect the presidential image while being careful not to squelch the overwhelming enthusiasm that the public has for the president,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
Obama’s calls for change and his “Yes We Can” campaign mantra are being evoked to sell assembly-required furniture in Ikea’s “Embrace Change” marketing campaign, bargain airfares during Southwest Airlines Inc.’s “Yes You Can” sale and “Yes Pecan” ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. shops.
“I can’t remember this ever happening to an active politician before, as a spokesperson or as an image for a brand,” said Brad Adgate, director of research for Horizon Media Inc., a New York-based advertising agency. “He’s in the highest profile of any person in the world right now.”
Riding the wave of Obama’s popularity may become a concern when advertisers use his likeness without permission to imply that Obama is endorsing a product or cause. The White House through the years has objected to commercial use of presidential faces, such as footage of President George H.W. Bush in a Cold War-themed 1989 television ad for cold medication.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
CafePress will be sad to hear this. Of course, it’s been perfectly okay for the past 8 years to print and distribute every kind of “blasphemy” against Bush, using his image on t-shirts, bumper stickers, mousepads. But now the “one” can’t have his image used indiscrimately, even if it’s because of his “so-called” popularity. I think this may be more about the items that might be produced that give a negative sentiment, more than the items that give a positive sentiment...just saying.
While I’m sick to my stomach over it, I simply can’t fault someone for making money off of the idiots that are so smitten by this “O”sshole
to prove my point, link to anti-Obama merchandise at cafe press
http://shop.cafepress.com/anti-obama
but here’s the anti-Bush stuff that’s been selling for 8 years
http://shop.cafepress.com/anti-bush
See also “Obozo weasels looking for their cut off the top”
Well, isn’t he special!
he did say yesterday its not time for companies to making profits!
So much for free speech......Barak considers himself Midas...But we all remember what happened to Midas.
One of my Zazzle “associates” makes nothing but probama stuff. I think this is kind of funny in the getting what they voted for sense.
Mr. niteowl77
How many approval points did 0 drop this week?
Democracy Corps (?) has him at 55%.
ping
0bama just wants his cut of the profits.
The commemorative caps and plates (made in China) being sold at Walgreens has BHO’s signature on them. This means the merchandise is approved by him.
I can’t fault the idiots for trying to make a buck, but they won’t get it from me. I will never buy another Pepsi. I hope they lose twice as much as it cost to change their logo. Anything that looks remotely like an Obama conection will lose my business. In the big picture it won’t make bit of difference, but I feel a hell of a lot better.
Available here: http://www.jeremyinc.com/BarackObamaToiletPaper.html
Good luck with that.
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