The Detergent House?

Leading Australian detergent Vanish NapiSan believes it has a squeaky-clean solution for U.S. President Barack Obama and his nation’s debt woes. The Reckitt Benckiser brand wants to “sponsor” the White House for US$25 million, if the American government allows its signage to appear on the White House lawn for the next five years. And that’s not all: Vanish NapiSan would also like exclusive naming rights to the historic building. According to representatives of the company, the White House is the most logical choice of billboard as it’s the “most high-profile white building in the world.”

While the idea seems like more of a marketing gimmick than a realistic plan, NapiSan, in an effort to prove it means business, has begun working with a D.C.-based communications firm to confirm that the project is both constitutional and politically viable (i.e., how desperate is Obama, really?).