Aqua Teen Hunger Force = BAD advertisement

[VisibilityMissing]

Turner Broadcasting should definitely face a hefty fine for this . . . it would serve as a deterrent for all the other stupid advertising that's really at the level of graffiti and vandalism in our cities./

[Llewthepoet]

I was an ATHF fan, but not any more after this.

[VisibilityMissing]

Arrests!!

Woohoo!!

Jan 31, 9:38 PM EST

Boston Cops Make Arrest in Devices Ploy

BOSTON (AP) -- More than 10 blinking electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most if not all of the devices depict a character giving the finger.

Boston police said Wednesday night that one person had been arrested, and authorities scheduled a news conference to provide details.

Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.

"It's a hoax - and it's not funny," said Gov. Deval Patrick, who said he'll speak to the state's attorney general "about what recourse we may have."

Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. and parent of Cartoon Network, said the devices were part of a promotion for the TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball.

"The packages in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner said in a statement, issued a few hours after reports of the first devices came in.

It said the devices have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia.

"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," the company said. As soon as the company realized the problem, it said, law enforcement officials were told of their locations in all 10 cities.

The marketing firm that put them up has been ordered to remove them immediately, said Phil Kent, Turner chairman.

"We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger," Kent said. "We appreciate the gravity of this situation and, like any responsible company would, are putting all necessary resources toward understanding the facts surrounding it as quickly as possible."

Interference Inc. had no immediate comment. A woman who answered the phone at the New York-based firm's offices Wednesday afternoon said the firm's CEO was out of town and would not be able to comment until Thursday.

There were no reports from police Wednesday of residents in the other nine cities spotting similar devices.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said he'll seek to punish those responsible, and indicated that the penalty could be two to five years in prison per count.

After Turner made its announcement, Menino said he was "prepared to take any and all legal action" against the company and its affiliates "for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today's incidents."

Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke praised Boston authorities for sharing their knowledge quickly with Washington officials and the public.

"Hoaxes are a tremendous burden on local law enforcement and counter-terrorism resources and there's absolutely no place for them in a post-9/11 world," Knocke said.

Authorities said some of the objects looked like circuit boards or had wires hanging from them.

The first device was found at a subway and bus station underneath Interstate 93, forcing the shutdown of the station and the highway.

Later, police said four calls, all around 1 p.m., reported devices at the Boston University Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge, both of which span the Charles River, at a Boston street corner and at the Tufts-New England Medical Center.

The package near the Boston University bridge was found attached to a structure beneath the span, authorities said.

Subway service across the Longfellow Bridge between Boston and Cambridge was briefly suspended, and Storrow Drive was closed as well. A similar device was found Wednesday evening just north of Fenway Park, police spokesman Eddy Chrispin said.

Wanda Higgins, a 47-year-old Weymouth resident and a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, heard about the threat as she watched television news coverage while preparing to leave work at 4 p.m.

"I saw the bomb squad guys carrying a paper bag with their bare hands," Higgins said. "I knew it couldn't be too serious."

Messages seeking additional comment from the Atlanta-based Cartoon Network were left with several publicists.

"Aqua Teen Hunger Force" is a cartoon with a cultish following that airs as part of the Adult Swim late-night block of programs for adults on the Cartoon Network. A feature length film based on the show is slated for release March 23.

The cartoon also includes two trouble-making, 1980s-graphic-like characters called "mooninites," named Ignignokt and Err - who were pictured on the suspicious devices. They are known for making the obscene hand gesture depicted on the devices.

c

[Foxchild]

This was a complete overreaction on Boston's part. I can understand some level of caution, but this was ridiculous. on top of that, the arrests they've made (or rather, arrest) does not even possibly compensate for what they even say the offense was.

If they're going to pursue this, let them take everyone who would be accountable, not just the people who were contracted to make the signs.]

[Bocaj Claw]

Adult Swim posted a apology last night during the time when they usually insult the viewer with captions.

[Foxchild]

Honestly, this wouldn't change my opinion of the show, if I had liked it in the first place.

I do like the show, and it hasn't changed my opinion. The whole thing is just rediculous (not just the reaction, but the method of advertising to begin with too).

Not really, for a stunt, this is actually fairly standard. Of the 10 cities these LED displays were set up in, ONLY Boston reacted the way they did. That said, doesn't make it a good idea. Though I do like it.

[Rooster]

That is absolutly hilarious!!!

I think those responsible should be given medals for entertainment!

Hahaha, seriously awesome.X

[Tabris_The_17th]

Call me old-fashioned, but I just think advertising works better when those who aren't already fans or consumers of the product understand what the ad is for.

If you've never seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force, what the fook does a neon box with a middle finger waving Mooninite mean to you?

[Foxchild]

Call me old-fashioned, but I just think advertising works better when those who aren't already fans or consumers of the product understand what the ad is for.

If you've never seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force, what the fook does a neon box with a middle finger waving Mooninite mean to you?

It'd mean I'm living in a huge college town with three large universities and somebody's playing a prank surrounding video games.

[Comrade K]

Call me old-fashioned, but I just think advertising works better when those who aren't already fans or consumers of the product understand what the ad is for.

If you've never seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force, what the fook does a neon box with a middle finger waving Mooninite mean to you?

Ahh, welcome to the new world of Marketing! Perhaps when you look at it at first, it may seem utterly useless and unethical to pull something like this, but in reality, it's genius. Can you imagine how many people are now aware of the Show? I had never heard of this show before, and I had little exposure to Adult Swim apart from watching some show with animated dolls on youtube. Now, however, I know this show, have a basic concept of what it's about, and an interest in what kind of show it is. BANG!-successful marketing.
The company probably intended to have this happen to generate publicity. As they say "Any publicity is good publicity". Now people who had never heard of this show are interested, becuase it made the news, and this whole little event probably generated more profit than it lost.

Anyway, as for the ethics of this, I think people are too paranoid nowadays, especially in the US, so in some ways its not as bad as it seems.
On the other hand, the people who pulled this wouldn't have done it if people weren't paranoid, because then it wouldn't have scared people, wouldn't have made the news, therefore wouldn't have generated interest, and finally, wouldn't have turned a profit.
If they had innoncent intentions I would criticize Boston, but the fact is that this whole uproar is what the company wanted.@

[The Donmeister]

I am reminded of Flagpole Sitta...
"Paranoia, Paranoia, everybody's coming to get me!"

Agreed. If it was a bomb, why would there be flashing lights on it, to attract people's attention? Usually, bombs are inconspicuous, so that people don't notice them, until they explode.

It's a sad day when you can't even put up a few LEDs on a main street anymore.

[Tabris_The_17th]

I heard you can buy some of these boxes on eBay. I have no link or anything to back that up though.

Call me old-fashioned, but I just think advertising works better when those who aren't already fans or consumers of the product understand what the ad is for.

If you've never seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force, what the fook does a neon box with a middle finger waving Mooninite mean to you?

Ahh, welcome to the new world of Marketing! Perhaps when you look at it at first, it may seem utterly useless and unethical to pull something like this, but in reality, it's genius. Can you imagine how many people are now aware of the Show? I had never heard of this show before, and I had little exposure to Adult Swim apart from watching some show with animated dolls on youtube. Now, however, I know this show, have a basic concept of what it's about, and an interest in what kind of show it is. BANG!-successful marketing.
The company probably intended to have this happen to generate publicity. As they say "Any publicity is good publicity". Now people who had never heard of this show are interested, becuase it made the news, and this whole little event probably generated more profit than it lost.

Anyway, as for the ethics of this, I think people are too paranoid nowadays, especially in the US, so in some ways its not as bad as it seems.
On the other hand, the people who pulled this wouldn't have done it if people weren't paranoid, because then it wouldn't have scared people, wouldn't have made the news, therefore wouldn't have generated interest, and finally, wouldn't have turned a profit.
If they had innoncent intentions I would criticize Boston, but the fact is that this whole uproar is what the company wanted.

You are right - this exporsure is going to get the show A LOT of attention. However, if it was the company's plan to have all this happen (which I'd like to believe it wasn't), then that is utterly horrible.

[Tabris_The_17th]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G-D0F4Q9yky

[Foxchild]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G-D0F4Q9yk

*thumbs up*

[Arloest]

Yeah, I don't really think this was bad advertisement, more like greater advertisement than they could have ever hoped for, for the same reasons a bunch of other people listed.