Cartoon Network Marketers Press Conf.

#1

volinbham

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#1
Have you seen the press conf. (not really a press conf. but answering questions after arraingment).

These two douchebags tried some bit about hair styles and refused to answer any questions seriously.

I understand they were trying to be funny but 1) it wasn't even close to being funny and 2) came off as smug, arrogant and completely dismissive of any responsibility for the stir that resulted.

How did you see it?
 
#2
#2
I didn't see it but this has been a strange event.
 
#4
#4
Quick summary: The Cartoon Network hired a couple of guys (marketing firm?) to run a promotion for Aqua Teen Hunger Force (I think that's right). They put up small electronic signs all over 8 or so cities including Boston. The signs were placed at bus-stops, in subways, etc. They looked like "Lite-Bright" signs with a character from the show (computer icon like a crude Pacman) giving the finger.

I guess some of these signs had wires sticking out of them and someone called in Boston that it was a suspicious device (some speculation that marketers themselves called in to create buzz). Boston officials treated the threat as real - blew up one and basically the city was in grid lock.

Turner Broadcasting admitted they were a promotion and apologized. The guys who put them up were in court today being arrainged (not sure what the charge is).

When they came out of court, they were very flippant. Answered no questions about the incident and insisted on only taking questions about "hair" (one guy has dreds). When a reporter asked a regular question, the guy would say "that's not a hair related question".
 
#6
#6
Have you seen the press conf. (not really a press conf. but answering questions after arraingment).

These two douchebags tried some bit about hair styles and refused to answer any questions seriously.

I understand they were trying to be funny but 1) it wasn't even close to being funny and 2) came off as smug, arrogant and completely dismissive of any responsibility for the stir that resulted.

How did you see it?

i can't imagine how this ever got to where it is to begin with, it's like i said in a thread in the pub, we have become entirely too paranoid as a society. this "guerilla marketing" has become more and more common, and it is rather unfortunate that this time the act was completely misunderstood.

i will agree that it wasn't funny though, but i think it was more of an "eff you" to the media than anything.
 
#7
#7
I agree the response was an over-reaction (by Boston authorities) but it was a sincere reaction. Watching these guys blow it off though...just rubbed me the wrong way.
 
#8
#8
Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about all of this - being in the middle of it. It was quite a response from Boston's authorities. They shut down several major surface and tunnel arteries, many bus routes, and most subway lines because the devices were placed on some key bridges, bus stops, and subway stops. I'm not sure if Boston totally over-reacted, just sort of over-reacted, or did the right thing...i'm thinking choice B..but I'm not sure. Boston has been at the center of several suspected terror plots, particularly our subway lines. And, although we weren't hit by any attacks on 9-11, many Bostonians were lost because two of the planes originated from Logan. It was during the day, you couldn't as easily tell what the things were because they weren't really lighting up, and the city enacted it's emergency procedures when several reports came in. It wasn't so much that they totally over-reacted as it was that there were so many devices, what would have been a small, localized response became a huge, city-wide virtual shut-down at the cost of 500,000 dollars.

As for the guys who were charged, there is a law here in Massachusetts strictly related to placing devices that cause panic (paraphrased). I'm sure that you have to prove intent to cause panic, and I'm not sure they will be able to do that, but that is one of the charges...and there is another that I can't remember. It is actually a pretty hefty charge with a maximum sentence of around 2 years per device.
 
#9
#9
I don't know that I would charge them with anything other than being asses. (based on their press confr.)
 
#10
#10
I don't know that I would charge them with anything other than being asses. (based on their press confr.)

They were certainly asses. I think that the marketing company certainly failed to do this properly...they probably should have filed for permits beforehand.
 
#11
#11
the mayor of boston is trying to get 750,000 from turner to pay for the cost of the drama....this could get ugly.
 
#12
#12
the mayor of boston is trying to get 750,000 from turner to pay for the cost of the drama....this could get ugly.

They must have re-evaluated the impact...they were saying 500,000 dollars on the nightly news here on the day it happened.
 

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