Adult cartoon ads shut down US city

[Devar]

Adult cartoon ads shut down US city

<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21152183-1702,00.html>
From correspondents in Boston

February 01, 2007 11:15am
Article from: Agence France-Presse


AN advertising campaign for a late-night animated series went seriously wrong today when police in Boston mistook the ads for explosive devices and shut down half the city.

The discovery of five suspect devices sent authorities into a tailspin, closing off major roads, suspending rail services and river transport and causing major disruption in the city as police investigated.

After some hours, Turner Broadcasting issued a statement saying that the so-called suspect devices were actually part of a marketing campaign for the series Aqua Teen Hunger Force on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim section.

"The 'packages' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger,'' said the statement from Turner Broadcasting System, according to ABC television.

"They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks.''

It said the company was in contact with police on how to resolve the issue.

"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger,'' it said.

Police Commissioner Edward Davis earlier in the day said he was unaware who was behind the devices, but a police spokesman later said authorities were digesting the statement from Turner.

"There's nothing that we have found that indicates any danger to the people who are coming into or out of the city,'' Mr Davis said, describing the day's security operation as a major strain on police resources.

"I think we are all relieved that the devices found so far have proven to be hoax devices,'' Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said.

One of the five devices was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

Local reports said that officials had described one device as containing an electronic circuit board with some components that were "`consistent with an improvised explosive device" but that it contained no explosives.

Other reports said the devices contained circuit boards featuring a cartoon that lit up a figure making an obscene gesture.

Security alerts have become a frequent occurrence in the US ever since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the vast majority of which turn out to be false alarms or hoaxes.

What. The. Heck. They've been active for weeks and all of a sudden they look like explosive devices?

Quick, throw out all electronics, they contain circuit boards with some components that are consistent with IEDs (if you have a soldering iron, you must be a terrorist)!

 

[Devar]

This is what the devices look like:

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanderlin/tags/aquateenhungerforce/>

Yes, because when I want to blow something up, I ALWAYS make sure that the bomb displays flashing lights clearly visible to everyone around.

I salute our brave leaders for their quick and level-headed handling of the situation.

 

[anart]

If flickering signs for a cartoon can set off a city wide shutdown terror alert - it sounds to me like programming is complete.

 

[Mr. Premise]

One weird thing was driving home through the Boston suburbs AFTER they knew it was a hoax, there were lots of police cars by the sides of the main roads (near hospitals, for example) sitting by themselves with their flashers on. I haven't seen that since 9/12/01.

It's like once the response machinery sets in motion they can't stop it. But it sure did heighten anxiety which is no doubt the whole point.

 

[Renaissance]

When the story was 'breaking' this morning, it was all over the news where I work. I remember thinking 'oh goly, those stupid terr'ist leaving conspicuous bombs all over the place sure is silly'. The funny thing is not once did I hear a description of the 'suspicious packages' as being a flickering cartoon; that might have jolted people out of their terror addicted sleep.

Interestingly, in the comments section of the Flickr website that shows the photo of the Ad that Devar posted, a member writes:

hahahah that thing just cause a huge bomb scare in boston someones going down for that !!!

'someone is going down for that!!!' projects the stupidity and irresponsibility of the police on people who are just doing a normal thing - advertising. Thankfully a couple of other members at Flickr saw the ridiculousness of the whole thing. But how many people will understand that this 'hoax', as it is being called in most all news releases, is just a cartoon ad thats been up for weeks? Not to mention that some of the ads are placed on bridges that the city probably owns, which means advertising space = being paid for advertising space - or didn't the police go through standard operating procedure to check before shutting down the city?

 

[anart]

Not to mention that some of the ads are placed on bridges that the city probably owns, which means advertising space = being paid for advertising space - or didn't the police go through standard operating procedure to check before shutting down the city?

I've been thinking this same thing, and it seems to be one of the larger cracks in the facade of the 'we didn't know' scenario. I find it really hard to believe, in this day and age, that any ad agency, or television network, would put up ads of any type in any city without someone in the city knowing - we're talking about money people - 'viral ad campaign' or not - the city had to know.

This is a major distraction - so the question, as always, is 'who benefits' - other than ramping up or 're-jolting' the fear factor - what is the populace being distracted 'away from'? The list is long, so take your pick...

 

[Devar]

<http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013107Z.shtml>

Beats talking about "copies of handwritten notes by Vice President Dick Cheney, introduced at trial by defense attorneys for former White House staffer I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, would appear to implicate George W. Bush in the Plame CIA Leak case"....

 

[Joe]

The new face of "worldwide Islamic terrorism"

run you fools! run!

 

[Cyre2067]

Wait Seriously... How can you mistake these things for a bomb... they're virtually flat...

http://l.yimg.com/www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

 

[Tigersoap]

Following the recent bomb scare Turner Broadcasting System and a New York marketing firm caused with their advertising campaign around Boston, the two firms agreed to pay $2 million as a compensation to several state and local agencies.

According to Attorney General Martha Coakley, the deal resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the two companies.

"Last week's events caused a major disruption in the greater Boston area on many levels — crippling public transportation, causing serious traffic problems, negatively affecting local businesses and perhaps most significantly, costing Boston and surrounding communities thousands of dollars," Coakley said.

On Wednesday last week, bomb squads were called in and bridges and highways were shut when authorities found more than three dozen electronic boards depicting a boxy cartoon character giving the finger. The signs were part of a publicity campaign for Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

"We hope that this painful lesson will not be lived or learned again either by the communities involved or ... Turner Broadcasting and Interference," Coakley added during a news conference attended by a host of municipal officials, including Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Cambridge Mayor Kenneth Reeves and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone.

"In one sense, all's well that end's well, and we hope shortly we can put this behind us, but trust that this kind of episode won't be repeated all the while understanding that we can be no less diligent as perceived threats occur in the future."

A statement released by Turner said they take responsibility for the "unconventional marketing tactic" (read: stupid) and apologizing for inconveniences caused to Boston area residents.

"We understand now that in today's post-Sept. 11 environment, it was reasonable and appropriate for citizens and law enforcement officials to take any perceived threat posed by our light boards very seriously and to respond as they did," the statement read.

Half of the money will be given to the cities of Boston, Somerville and Cambridge along with Massachusetts state agencies and the rest will go toward homeland security and other programs.

MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas and MBTA Police Chief Joseph Carter said the money would be put to good use.

"We will develop a list of meaningful and effective homeland security and customer safety programs that will have an enduring effect on our customers," Carter said.

Menino struck back at late-night comics and others who have accused municipal officials of overreacting.

"The folks who second-guess us because we did go out there and did our work, shame on them," the mayor said.

Two men were paid to hang the signs around the city, authorities said. Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, have pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct.

The signs were displayed in nine other big cities in the past several weeks but created little interest.

So anyone who'd like to pull another advertising stunt will have to be really carefull otherwise they'll end up in court...


Source : hxxp://www.playfuls.com/news_0005080_The_Amounts_You_Have_To_Pay_For_A_Bomb_Scare.html

 

[PopHistorian]

DonaldJHunt wrote: << One weird thing was driving home through the Boston suburbs AFTER they knew it was a hoax >>

But it wasn't a hoax, right? It was an unjustified panic in response to a cryptic ad campaign that would not even have gotten out of hand if local police had bothered to broadcast a query to other major-city police forces to see if they had experienced anything like it.

The local ClearChannel radio station still calls it a "hoax," even now, which smacks of trying not to look stupid. Involving "electronic devices," yet. I'm not even sure batteries and miniature light bulbs qualifies as "electronics."