White House Easter Egg Roll features Big Tech logos, branding

CNN
 — 

The logos of Big Tech companies and key associations were featured prominently Monday at the White House Easter Egg Roll, offering an unprecedented scene and use of the grounds to promote private business.

Children danced on the grass as a military band performed Martha and the Vandellas’ “Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide” atop a stage emblazoned with eggs and rabbits sporting the YouTube logo. And dozens of attendees lined up to take a photo in Meta’s tent, which featured a White House backdrop and a locator icon in the style of Instagram.

All money raised from the sponsorships will go toward the nonprofit White House Historical Association. But the sponsorship opportunities, which were first reported by CNN in March, have prompted concern from ethics and legal experts, as well as from White House officials on both sides of the aisle, because the solicitations run counter to long-established regulations prohibiting the use of public office for private gain.

Those opportunities included “naming rights for key areas or elements” and “sponsor logos featured on event signage,” according to a document from an outside production company called Harbinger that was obtained by CNN.

The sponsorships underscore the lengths to which businesses have sought to cultivate relationships with the Trump administration — even amid the uncertainty and upheaval of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. That was particularly poignant as a volunteer in a white apron facilitated a photo opportunity while a toddler and his parents rang a mock bell sponsored by the New York Stock Exchange, as the Dow tumbled more than 1,000 points.

Also on Monday, families walked under an arch made of hundreds of fresh carrots featuring “International Fresh Produce Association” branding. A volunteer handed out Slinky toys in a “play garden” space provided by The Toy Association.

A “reading nook” tent was set up with a couch and Amazon signage.

Yet when the time came for first lady Melania Trump to read “Bunny with a Big Heart,” she was far from the branding and logos, at a different reading nook in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, decorated with florals and a pastel White House Easter Egg Roll sign.

Private contributions covered activity booths, artists, music, vendors, staging, equipment and décor, said a source familiar with the planning who was granted anonymity to detail specifics of the funding mechanisms.

Any excess funding raised, that source said, will go toward similar White House events, such as Halloween festivities and the Fourth of July.