It may seem like Samsung is on a roll with its celebrity-endorsed selfies, but the company just met its match. According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House has objected to the way the smartphone maker has publicized a selfie photo of President Obama and Major League Baseball player David Ortiz.
White House press secretary Jay Carney told the Journal:
As a rule the White House objects to attempts to use the president’s likeness for commercial purposes…And we certainly object in this case.
In case you missed it, here’s the original tweet with the photo:
What an honor! Thanks for the #selfie, @BarackObama pic.twitter.com/y5Ww74sEID
— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) April 1, 2014
And here’s Samsung’s response:
Big Papi, Big Selfie. RT @DavidOrtiz What an honor! Thanks for the #selfie, @BarackObama pic.twitter.com/3I7ckLjquf
— Samsung Mobile US (@SamsungMobileUS) April 1, 2014
Samsung said in a statement earlier this week that, after learning of the visit with the President, it “worked with [Ortiz] and the team on how to share images with fans.”
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While the Obama administration didn’t indicate whether it plans to take any legal, it’s safe to say that Samsung wants to avoid getting on Obama’s bad side.
➤ Samsung Called Out on Ortiz’s Selfie With Obama [WSJ]
See also: Ellen DeGeneres’s Oscars group selfie tweet becomes most retweeted ever, passing one million RTs
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