By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — A company that used President Barack Obama as a spokesmodel for their outerwear on a Times Square billboard will take the sign down, according to published reports.
The advertisement for the Weatherproof company went up Wednesday but a Thursday conversation with the White House convinced company President Freddie Stollmack to have it removed, according to the New York Post.
"The White House has a longstanding policy disapproving of the use of the president's name and likeness for commercial purposes," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt wrote in a statement.
The sign features Obama wearing a Weatherproof jacket while standing on the Great Wall of China. The photograph dates from a November diplomatic trip to the country.
Although the company received permission from a wire service to run the photo, they didn't contact the White House for permission, Stollmack said.
"We're always looking to raise the image of Weatherproof, and what better way to do that than with the president of the United States wearing our coat?" Stollmack told Fox News.
