Dear Boston

[Tale]

They are not meant to resemble bombs. And placing one does not constitute a bomb hoax.

 

Out of 10 cities, why does Boston have to be the killjoy?

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16902707

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_regi...cious_pack.html

 

Edit: Crikey, they arrested a man in Arlington for it

http://wbztv.com/topstories/local_story_031135507.html

Edited February 1, 2007 by Tale

[Pop]

They really should have let somebody know beforehand before leaving **** around, and they could have put the ads on private property where this stuff wouldn't be an issue, especially not on landmarks.

 

I'm less annoyed by Boston's concern as I am annoyed at Adult Swim's use of lame "street advertising" bull****. I don't care how hip leaving lite brites around town makes you. Get a ****ing billboard.

[Darth Drabek]

The devices are dotted with blue and purple lights and are shaped like

[Enoch]

If you ask me, CN just got a major bump for the ATHF movie that comes out in March. With almost 1,000 articles on Google News about it (more than any other story except the foiled beheading in Britain and the Scooter Libby trial in the U.S.), I think they just raised awareness higher than they ever expected.

But awareness with whom? I don't know how many of the show/movie's target viewers (generally high school and college-aged males) are watching World News Tonight or reading the NYT. I'd bet that 98% of the people reading these stories are going to read those entertainingly awkward descriptions of the show that you excerpted and wonder what kind of idiot finds that entertaining. Plus, the ad firm and Turner will likely be sued to pay for the costs of Boston's overreaction.

[Darth Drabek]

But awareness with whom? I don't know how many of the show/movie's target viewers (generally high school and college-aged males) are watching World News Tonight or reading the NYT. I'd bet that 98% of the people reading these stories are going to read those entertainingly awkward descriptions of the show that you excerpted and wonder what kind of idiot finds that entertaining. Plus, the ad firm and Turner will likely be sued to pay for the costs of Boston's overreaction.

 

Good point, you are probably right about the normal reaction from Joe Sixpack. But do you think Adult Swim would consider the risk/reward of an ad campaign and say "That 2 percent is enough for us," and do it anyway? Assuming they hadn't considered the possible reaction of the city authorities (which they obviously didn't).

 

Adult Swim fans are going to see the movie anyway, but I can't see that being even close to enough for a decent box office gross. The Aqua Teens are meant for a niche audience, and Cartoon Network is just being foolish if they have delusions of mass appeal.

 

That said, it makes sense for them to make some sort of an awareness grab toward the mainstream -- this wasn't the smartest way to go about it, though. Billboards and 30-second TV spots don't turn up on the front page of any newspapers or news sites, but they also don't create lawsuits and (even mistakenly) equate your brand with terrorism.

 

However, if they wanted to generate a buzz, I think they've got their wish. It remains to be seen if that buzz's negative undertone hurts Adult Swim, however.

[Weiser_Cain]

I'm not a big fan of graffiti but to get arrested because no one in local government or law enforcement watches ATHF is stupid beyond belief. 'built to resemble bombs', right, empty, light up bombs, look out everybody the terrorist have discovered light pollution! I should leave a ipod at city hall today and shut down half the city... oh wait only boston is that stupid...

[Laozi]

Well the big thing about ATHF is it is really cheap to produce. I don't know if they can really be sued for what happened. Its not like they called in a bomb scare or anything.

[kumquatq3]

If you ask me, CN just got a major bump for the ATHF movie that comes out in March. With almost 1,000 articles on Google News about it (more than any other story except the foiled beheading in Britain and the Scooter Libby trial in the U.S.), I think they just raised awareness higher than they ever expected.

But awareness with whom? I don't know how many of the show/movie's target viewers (generally high school and college-aged males) are watching World News Tonight or reading the NYT. I'd bet that 98% of the people reading these stories are going to read those entertainingly awkward descriptions of the show that you excerpted and wonder what kind of idiot finds that entertaining. Plus, the ad firm and Turner will likely be sued to pay for the costs of Boston's overreaction.

 

I've had three emails this morning from friends that watch the show forwarding me this story laughing.

 

So, I guess there's something too it

 

However, if they wanted to generate a buzz, I think they've got their wish. It remains to be seen if that buzz's negative undertone hurts Adult Swim, however.

 

Remember the MI3 bomb scare?

Edited February 1, 2007 by kumquatq3

[Laozi]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_...picious_devices

 

 

 

 

Apparently two have been arraigned in Boston.

 

About a dozen fans gathered outside Charlestown District Court on Thursday morning with signs saying "1-31-07 Never Forget" and "Free Peter."

[Pop]

Hopefully Adult Swim will lose the lawsuit and cancel the rest of their ****ty OP (we'll keep the Boondocks and TVB on air, just in case). Bob Odenkirk's new show looks especially heinous. I wonder how long it will take before he squanders the last goodwill he got from Mr. Show.

[Dark_Raven]

What stupid people. They can't tell the difference between a cartoon icon and a bomb? Paranoia at its best.

[kumquatq3]

The mooninites are fearsome

[Tale]

[Gfted1]

Linky

 

Cartoon Network Head Steps Down

 

Feb 9, 3:08 PM (ET)

 

By HARRY R. WEBER

 

ATLANTA (AP) - The head of the Cartoon Network resigned Friday following a marketing stunt that caused a terrorism scare that shut down bridges and roadways in Boston and led police to call in the bomb squad.

 

The announcement of Jim Samples resignation was made in an internal memo sent to Cartoon Network staff members. Samples said he regretted what had happened.

 

"It's my hope that my decision allows us to put this chapter behind us and get back to our mission of delivering unrivaled original animated entertainment for consumers of all ages," Samples said.

 

He said he felt "compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch."

 

 

Blinking electronic devices had been planted around 10 cities in a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," but when Boston authorities got a series of 911 calls about the suspicious devices on Jan. 31, they feared the then-dark circuit boards with wires in them could be explosives.

 

A few hours later, Cartoon Network's corporate parent acknowledged the boards were harmless and part of a marketing move.

 

The Cartoon Network is a division of Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting, whose parent is media giant Time Warner Inc. (TWX) On Monday, Turner Broadcasting and an advertising agency involved agreed to pay $2 million in compensation for the emergency response the devices had spurred in Boston.

 

The agreement between Turner, Interference Inc. and several state and local agencies resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the two companies.

 

A replacement for Samples, who had been with the company for 13 years, was not immediately announced.

 

All the publicity over the marketing stunt didn't translate into much of a marketing boost for the show the network was trying to promote. The cartoon averaged 386,000 viewers last week among its targeted demographic of 18-to-24-year-olds, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous week, the show averaged a virtually identical 380,000 among young viewers.

[Laozi]

Yeah, I just read that. Sucks that he had to resign because Boston authorities did something stupid and then were unflinching in their post-9/11 rhetoric.

[Walsingham]

Actually they'd have done better to refer to the fact that prior to 9/11 there were substantial numbers of bombs made by outright fruitloops, like our dear mailbomber who is currently active in the UK. Leaving illuminated signs everywhere that exploded would be perfectly consistent with anarchists, revolutionaries, or anyone who looks really weird. I personally don't think it was unreasonable to treat the devices as suspect. But mostly I hate advertising chimps, and nothing is too bad for them.