Marketing gambit exposes a wide generation gap (Boston "hoax")

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/02/01/marketing_gambit_exposes_a_wide_generation_gap/


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Marketing gambit exposes a wide generation gap

By Michael Levenson and Maria Cramer, Globe Staff  |  February 1, 2007

Todd Vanderlin, a 22-year-old design student, had just left Lucky's lounge in South Boston two weeks ago when he spotted what looked like an alien glowing on the side of a bridge. He pulled out his digital camera, photographed the illuminated plastic figure, and posted the images on his blog.

"I knew it was art, and I knew it was part of the Adult Swim ads, because I saw a billboard for the same thing," said Vanderlin, referring to a series of cartoons on cable television. "I see it in New York all the time."

But yesterday, a subway worker less attuned to the latest in underground marketing techniques called the police after spotting one of the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" cartoon characters on an overpass in Charlestown. The terrorism scare that followed touched off a massive response from police. When it was discovered that the electronic boards were only ads for a cartoon, serious condemnation flowed from Washington and Boston.

The episode exposed a wide generational gulf between government officials who reacted as if the ads might be bombs and 20-somethings raised on hip ads for Snapple, Apple, and Google who instantly recognized the images for what they were: a viral marketing campaign.

[deepthought42]

1. I had to change my avatar, just for this...

I'm sorry, but...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


Had I been there and seen one of those ads, I would pointed and laughed, and then moved on w/my life. I know not everyone recognizes those cartoon characters, but sheesh...

[Rosemary2205]

3. Speculation the advertiser is also the tipster.

Talked to our ad firm this morning and someone with 32 years in the business mentioned he would not be surprised at all that someone connected or hired by the Adult Swim is the tipster because the signs were not getting enough media buzz.

[deepthought42]

4. I heard about that...

If it's true than it was REALLY dumb idea, to put it lightly. But it does go to show that maybe, just maybe, we need to calm down a little and *gasp* think, before we start blowing up anything that might be "suspicious".

I wonder if ATHF is on tonight...

[justiceischeap]

5. I feel sorry for the guys arrested

You know they had to sign a waiver and now they're taking the fall for this entire thing.

[Cobalt Violet]

7. They had to sign a Waiver?

What were they waiving?

I feel bad for them too. They were only doing what they were hired to do. I don't think they could've perceived the paranoid over-reaction.

[justiceischeap]

14. Usually when you are hired as a "guerilla marketer"

You have to sign a waiver saying the company you are doing the work for is in no way responsible for anything "illegal" you may do. So the people who end up doing this stuff can't go back and say, "Well such and such company is responsible."

[chelsea0011]

6. It would make sense. They had been up for weeks and I couldn't

figure out how the police knew on January 31st how to get to all of them. Did people call in all day saying, "hey, we got one of those out in front of our building", or were they aware of them preceding the assault on lite brite. If this is the state of Homeland security, we are screwed. Not only were these things up for weeks (with no scare in the other cities they have been hanging) but also, homeland security was unable to see they weren't much of anything. And how did the first call come in? There are many questions to be answered. And I've been reading many posts of all suspicious packages being treated with trepidation. I will take anyone through Allston or the back allies in the Back bay and will point out many suspicious packages lying around. In other words...trash.

[Little Wing]

9. I've seen that before

[deepthought42]

12. LOL....love your avatar! n/t

[hobbit709]

2. Almost any idiot

(I won't say ANY idiot-since that became obvious) would realize that a real bomb would not attract attention to itself until too late.

[Jacobin]

11. Hiding things in plain sight is not an unknown tactic

[IADEMO2004]

8. I think the Boston Bomb Squad is the hoax

[tridim]

10. It exposes an America that has lost its collective mind and soul

because BushCo has apparently succeeded in scaring most of us half to death.

We need to start healing, not arresting artists.

[KoKo]

13. The assholes who thought up this "Fuck You" Lite Brite Campaign need to go to jail. n/t

[benEzra]

15. Keystone Kops paranoia is more common than you might think...

Bomb squad destroys news box playing ‘Mission: Impossible III’ theme

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A newspaper promotion for Tom Cruise’s upcoming “Mission: Impossible III” got off to an explosive start when a county arson squad blew up a news rack, thinking it contained a bomb.

The confusion: the Los Angeles Times rack was fitted with a digital musical device designed to play the “Mission: Impossible” theme song when the door was opened. But in some cases, the red plastic boxes with protruding wires were jarred loose and dropped onto the stack of newspapers inside, alarming customers.

Now, maybe it's just me, but I'd think that if Al Qaida were going to blow up a bridge or a building with a bomb, the bomb would not

(1) give everyone the finger for two weeks before detonating, or

(2) play the theme to "Mission Impossible" before detonating.

But who knows...