(2007-02-01) — A day after a Turner Broadcasting guerrilla marketing campaign for an adult cartoon put Boston on full terror alert, the company said it would reconsider other “edgy” marketing plans it was about to launch.
Turner had placed dozens of battery-operated light boards displaying an obscene gesture throughout each of the 10 major U.S. cities. A series of Boston bomb scares sparked by the devices forced authorities to shut down roads, bridges and a section of the Charles River yesterday.
An unnamed spokesman for Turner said the company would now review plans for the following guerrilla marketing campaigns designed to “generate buzz” about the cartoon.
- Renting a 747 painted with the show’s name and flying it past skyscrapers in major cities
- Hiring young men to show up in malls, on buses and other heavily-trafficked areas who would suddenly whip open their coats to reveal a special vest with blinking lights, and begin shouting the theme song of the show.
- “Abducting” strangers, blindfolding them, forcing them to their knees and then broadcasting their videotaped “confessions” that they love the cartoon.
- Hiring young men to suddenly stand up on buses and airliners and loudly declare that the new cartoon is “da bomb.”
- Planting hundreds of improvised advertising devices (IAD) that would suddenly flash, make a loud noise and scatter thousands of promotional fliers all over the road or sidewalk.
- Mounting a “viral” marketing campaign in which dozens of journalists would each receive an envelope containing a white powder along with a note daring the recipient to hold his breath until the debut of the new cartoon.
-Calling the White House, Pentagon, Supreme Court and other famous places and claiming to have planted a “dirty bomb” on the front steps, which turns out to be a paper bag full of dog droppings with the show’s logo stamped on the bag.
“These promotional gimmicks are designed to appeal to the kind of adult who would stay up late to watch cartoon characters who use foul language and obscene gestures,” the Turner source said.
In related news, Turner reported that overnight ratings from Boston showed TV viewership got a big boost thanks to the panic that forced citizens to remain in their homes. The company’s CNN division also saw a large increase in viewers eager to follow news of the bomb scares.
65 responses so far ↓
1 Scott Ott // Feb 1, 2007 at 7:37 am
Turner Puts Other ‘Edgy’ Marketing Plans on Hold…
by Scott Ott(2007-02-01) — A day after a Turner Broadcasting guerrilla marketing campaign for an adult cartoon put Boston on full terror alert, the company said it would reconsider other “edgy” marketing plans it was about to launch.Turner had……
2 RedPepper // Feb 1, 2007 at 7:42 am
God Bless America !
3 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 7:52 am
Turner had placed dozens of battery-operated light boards displaying an obscene gesture throughout each of the 10 major U.S. cities.
Ol’ Ted talking/signing to himself again. Poor people are “nuts”, filthy rich people are merely “eccentric”.
Never could stand the jerk, other than him producing the money for Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. And married to Barbarella? Yeeeeuck!
Like we didn’t already know? The Islamic Mein Kampf.
4 RedPepper // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:08 am
75,000 Protest Tortilla Prices in Mexico
“Big Corn” Is Ripping Off The Poor !
5 onlineanalyst // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:36 am
You have outdone yourself again, Scott. Bravo!
Does this stunt of Turner’s have a similarity to shouting, “Fire!” in a crowded theater? Even the lit gesture of the devices demonstrates the contempt of the message to American audiences and the security forces charged with protecting them.
6 tv - uttaruk.com » Turner Puts Other ‘Edgy’ Marketing Plans on Hold // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:41 am
[…] Original post by Scott Ott and software by Elliott Back […]
7 RedPepper // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:42 am
At long last, Al Franken demonstrates that he really does have a sense of humor.
8 marketing - uttaruk.com » Turner Puts Other ‘Edgy’ Marketing Plans on Hold // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:49 am
[…] Original post by Scott Ott and software by Elliott Back […]
9 DOG - Uttaruk.com » Turner Puts Other ‘Edgy’ Marketing Plans on Hold // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:51 am
[…] Original post by ScrappleFace and software by Elliott Back […]
10 TouchyFeely // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:02 am
Don’t forget the bag of flaming doggy poop left on the White House porch. And what about beheading the republican leadership in effigy on the Saturday morining children’s cartoons?
My work here is done, Tonto.
11 stamp - uttaruk.com » Turner Puts Other ‘Edgy’ Marketing Plans on Hold // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:08 am
[…] Original post by Scott Ott and software by Elliott Back […]
12 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:13 am
Well, someone certainly has a stuttering problem. Pingback indeed!
BTW, Scott, PowerLineblog linked to this story. For whatever reason, it reads funnier over there!
13 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:19 am
From a sargeant serving in Afghanistan, compliments of the milblogger BlackFive who got permission to “go hot” with it. Light ‘em up!
A must read for liberal Democrats.
14 JamesonLewis3rd // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:28 am
For some reason, when I saw this on the news this morning, I felt disrespected.
Back in the day, in my (much) younger years, if someone gave me the finger they’d get a punch in the mouth. I hope they run out of paper and ink with which to write the charges against these morons.
15 Maggie // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:38 am
Scott,
Iwould love to see your brain scan.It would most certainly reveal a smiley face on the frontal lobe.This thread is one your most clever. Great job.
16 The World According to Nick - Overreaction Anyone? // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:43 am
[…] at 08:41 by Nick | No Comments | Add to del.icio.us | Digg this Post | Filed Under: CurrentEvents […]
17 Maggie // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:54 am
Off Topic…….(to Shelly and Mig)
We here in North Carolina are having a snow day and of course the schools were closed before the first flake fell.
It is so beautiful and has a Courier and Ives appeal.
This area is a rural farming community.so it gave me great joy and thankfulness to look out of my window and see our neighbors 7 year old daughter playing in the snow.For a moment,I can forget the woes of this world and see only innocence and purity in a childs first snowfall.Thank you Lord.
18 gafisher // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:14 am
When in danger
When in doubt
Boston’s Finest
Scream and Shout.
Burma Shave
I’m sorry, folks, but to me this looks like somebody seriously overreacted and doesn’t know how to stand down. What’s next — confiscation of scary funny pages?
19 Moonage Webdream // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:38 am
TNT, CNN, and the Boston Scare…
Turner Network managed to scare the bejeebers out of Boston yesterday. Their great idea was to promote a cartoon by putting little boxes all over Boston with lighted obscene gestures. CNN reported on the panic all day. The beauty of…
20 Loving ScrappleFace » Another Blogger // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:44 am
[…] Loving ScrappleFace Not a shocker, but ScrappleFace has a great post today as a followup on the Turner Broadcasting Aqua Teen Bomber Force situation… tagged as: aquateenhungerforce, athf, scrappleface […]
21 da Bunny // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:51 am
“– Planting hundreds of improvised advertising devices (IAD) that would suddenly flash, make a loud noise and scatter thousands of promotional fliers all over the road or sidewalk.”
******************************************
Scott, all of the “guerilla marketing campaigns” listed are great, but for some reason the “IAD” one has accomplished it’s mission to “generate buzz.” ROTFLMHO!
22 boberinyetagain // Feb 1, 2007 at 11:39 am
Scott for President!
Don’t even want to wait for ‘08, need him now!!!
23 boberinyetagain // Feb 1, 2007 at 11:40 am
ruh roh rorge…
24 MargeinMI // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Somewhere, Orsen Wells and P.T. Barnum are raising a toast…
25 da Bunny // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:10 pm
#26: Yes they are, Marge! Good one!
26 Shelly // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Excellent point, Marge!
Maggie, this is our second snow day in this neck of NC. Love this global warming! And yes, they announced the closing last night, but that was better than the last time when the kids were dropped off at school, the buses left, and then officials closed school. Our school board makes Congress look intelligent and efficient.
27 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Terri Schiavo Possible Precedent in Barbaro Case?
The veterinarian surgeon of the world renown thoroughbred race horse Barbaro said secret discussions had been held with the owner as to how to proceed if this last surgery wasn’t successful.
“We thought about starving Barbaro to death but we decided to take the more humane approach which was to euthanize him with an injection. But if he had been brain damaged, we would have definitely considered the Schiavo Method since it’s purported to be an euphoric means to end life.”
28 MargeinMI // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Sounds like just plain ol’ good horse sense, Hank.
29 Ms RightWing, Ink // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I sat down for a nice visit to my computer only to find it messed up, ain’t that da bomb. Urban nonsense now rules. I watched a few programs on Adult Swim and my only question is why is this on the Cartoon Network. It belongs on HBO
30 da Bunny // Feb 1, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Darthmeister, I’m glad they didn’t use the Schiavo Method on poor Barbaro. The ASPCA/Humane Society would have had them arrested, and rightly so!!! But, of course, the Schiavo Method has been considered a good way to put a human being down!
31 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Apparently AMA approved, da Bunny.
32 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I so confused about the Republican position on this sort of thing. Should lesbians be allowed to this? Are you going to take the child away from its mother? Abortion can’t be acceptable, can it? Should anyone be stoned? Is Dick in any kind of trouble for this? Do you you know the father name? If you say it’s Bill Clinton, we will demand DNA proof!
What will we tell the children, what will we tell our teens who now think this sort of thing is OK. algore’s daughter never did this sort of thing, or even rolled on the floor drunk in front of a crowd, like the Bush girls did in a bar. Is this some kind of repug corruption of decent Democrat values. Can someone clear this up for me?
Mary Cheney Publicly Defends Her Pregnancy
Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, today for the first time publicly defended her decision to become pregnant and asserted that same-sex couples are equally capable of raising children as heterosexual couples.
“When Heather and I decided to have a baby, I knew it wasn’t going to be the most popular decision,” Ms. Cheney said, referring to her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe. She then gestured to her middle — any bulge disguised by a boxy jacket — and asserted: “This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate, on either side of a political issue. It is my child.”
“It is not a prop to be used in a debate”, really it would be if you were Al Gores daughter! Is this the one with the big government job? Oh, I see.
ET
33 RedPepper // Feb 1, 2007 at 1:58 pm
It’s time we open our eyes and confront reality. Ever since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the media has sought to reassure us that only a tiny minority of Muslims actually support the use of violence against Israel and the West.
It’s just a small fringe, a marginal few at best, they tell us, so don’t worry about it all too much. One percent or three percent - who cares? Just sit back, enjoy your morning eggs and coffee and have a nice day.
But a look at the numbers tells a very different story. The extent of support for global jihad is frightening in its proportions, and the numbers are anything but insignificant.
The Straightforward Arithmetic of Jihad .
34 Ms RightWing, Ink // Feb 1, 2007 at 1:59 pm
and your point is?
35 mig // Feb 1, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I think it’s sleeting here. Just getting ready to get out the striker and heavy artillery.It’s time to head south to retrieve my heirs from the magic kingdom.
Wait , just kidding. Don’t send out the bomb squad. I am only going to the school to get the kids. I swear I was only requesting a carpool.
There’s no striker here! When I said heavy artillery, I only meant a warm jacket and an umbrella.
I didn’t mean to put the whole district on alert. I was just joshing. Come on y’all, really.
36 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 3:25 pm
On the last thread Darthmeister in speaking of the founders declared: “Christian or deist, they cherished their religion.”
To which I asked: Henry, “what religion does a deist cherish?”
I also asked if slavery was “Christian”, then or now?
Lord knows I am only a beggar at the door of your Christian wisdom; but, even though Henry hasn’t answered my questions, and they have brought several other questions to my mind. So let me ask you all:
Was everyone in the United States of America already “born again” in 1787?
Were those who were not “born again” held as citizen of a lesser degree?
Why was the acceptance of Christ not made a condition of citizenship, by our Christian founders?
Is Baptism required of a Christian? How about an American? How Baptism must be performed: Sprinkle or Emission?
Can a Jew go to heaven without acceptance of Christ? If not, can he still be an American?
Can a Roman Catholic enter the Kingdom of Heaven? If not, can he still be an American?
How about a Jehovah’s Witness, can they go to heaven? If not, can he still be an American?
Speak out, be bold for your faith, just like those slave holding deists!
If a child in a Dearborn, Michigan is asked to stand and face east, in silence during Muslim prayer time while in school, is that ok ?
ET
37 Pros and Cons » Bombers in the news // Feb 1, 2007 at 3:41 pm
[…] Despite fake bomb plots in Boston, MA, (Scrappleface has more)there are real threats out there. Kudos to our Limey friends! […]
38 Mark_Engblom // Feb 1, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Great post, Scott! I’ve linked to the post at my own site.
39 Mark_Engblom // Feb 1, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Actually, try this one.
40 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 4:28 pm
How many neverthinks can dance on a pinhead? (Apparently too many.)
Did Adam and Eve have a navel? More importantly does neverthink have a brain?
When Moses served in Pharoah’s court was that the first recorded case of a tennis match? (Clearly no “love” lost between those two.)
And was neverthink a result of a cloning experiment gone bad or did he ultimately slime his way out of some primordial soup?
The world waits with bated breath as these cosmic questions are ultimately answered by global warming scientists who know all, see all and prophesy all.
41 camojack // Feb 1, 2007 at 4:37 pm
I guess, in retrospect, it wasn’t such a good idea.
Or even before the fact, to anyone with a shred of sense…
42 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Ok Hamster,
How about just the first question?
What is the religion you say a deist cherishes?
ET
43 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Why was the acceptance of Christ not made a condition of citizenship, by our Christian founders?
It would be in “Hank’s America, wouldn’t it?
ET
44 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Dang, stick this in for me, will you? “
45 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Just out of curiosity, neverthink, how much do you spend on your psychiatric bills each month?
And does your healthcare insurance cover most of the cost?
46 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Henry, it isn’t me who’s threatening the violent overthrow of the United States government.
Get off the dope, Dope; or get back on your meds.
ET
47 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Get off the dope, Dope; or get back on your meds.
Mumbling to yourself again? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Another one of your conspiracy theories about black helicopters and “Christofascists”, neverthink?
Well, at least it keeps you off the streets and in your basement.
48 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 6:00 pm
BTW, the last time I checked it was you railing against the government of the United States of America for the last three years. Engaging in more projection, eh? You gotta watch that. You might be eligible for a refund from your shrink … pro-rated of course.
49 everthink // Feb 1, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Darthmeister: Did you say there would be “civil war” if Democrats impeach Dumbyah?
ET
50 Beerme // Feb 1, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I think the response to this advertising campaign was mind numbingly overblown. I shudder to think what these authorities would do in the face of a real threat. Perhaps a terrorist wishing to deploy IEDs on Boston’s streets would make them a little less conspicuous…
Besides, Massachusetts should be real familiar with disasters: Can you say Big Dig? Sure ya can!
51 onlineanalyst // Feb 1, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Brzezinski (Carter’s national security adviser) advises the Senate Intelligence (???) Committee against the Bush administration’s continued engagement in Iraq, seeing it as an escalation to a head-on conflict with Iran.
Well, duh, if Jimmy Carter some 30 years ago hadn’t enabled problems to begin with in Iran, perhaps this festering sore would not have erupted with Iran creating unrest all over the ME. If anyone is guilty of “imperial hegemony” it was Saddam, and now it is Ahmadinnerjacket. Both intend(ed) to extend their borders through aggression, establish their sphere of influence in the ME, lord their power over the world’s economy through oil blackmail, and spread their fascistic doctrine.
The link takes you to the original article in a San Francisco newspaper (where else?)
Lede grafs?
President Carter’s national security adviser said Thursday the Iraq war was likely to lead to “a head-on conflict” with Iran and other parts of the Muslim world.
Zbigniew Brzezinski also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Bush administration policy was driven by “imperial hubris” and has proved to be a disaster on historic, strategic and moral grounds.
“If the United States continues to be bogged down in a protracted bloody involvement in Iraq, and I emphasize what I am about to say, the final destination on this downhill track is likely to be a head-on conflict with Iran and with much of the world of Islam at large,” Brzezinski said.
52 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Honestly I don’t remember saying that. I have said there will be a lot of upset people and Democrats are treading on dangerous grounds if for partisan reasons they attempt to impeach a war president merely on the basis of policy disagreements.
It’s never happened before and there’s no telling how some people would react or what counter-movements would be unleashed. And it certainly would be ironic if the partisan actions of “peace-loving” Democrats does ignite some kind of civil war because of an impeachment conviction of both President Bush and VP Cheney, thereby putting a left-wing loon like Nancy Pelosi (D-Moon) in office. Yeah, you probably would get quite a bit of “civil unrest” if not a civil war. I certainly don’t wish for it.
But if you can produce the post, I’ll be more than happy to take credit for it. Thomas Jefferson himself was so inclined, but I don’t hear you railing against him on that basis.
53 Ed Driscoll.com // Feb 1, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Aqua Teen Viral Force…
Scott Ott satirically writes, “A day after a Turner Broadcasting guerrilla marketing campaign for an adult cartoon put Boston on full terror alert, the company said it would reconsider other ‘edgy’ marketing plans it was about to launch:Turner had p…
54 Analchord // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:39 pm
The Boston light boxes were nothing. Ted Turner put Jane Fonda blow-up dolls all over the Washington DC Mall during a war protest this week too. This guy is out of control!!
55 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Did it the Fonda blow-up dolls come with the anti-aircraft gun accessory?
56 Darthmeister // Feb 1, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Here’s an interesting Thomas Jefferson quote (who we all know is a Deist) regarding the need for religious opinion and duties to be taught in public educational institutions including that of the unversity.
“It was not, however, to be understood that instruction in religious opinion and duties was meant to be precluded by the public authorities, as indifferent to the interests of society. On the contrary, the relations which exist between man and his Maker, and the duties resulting from those relations, are the most interesting and important to every human being and the most incumbent on his study and investigation. The want of instruction in the various creeds of religious faith existing among our citizens presents, therefore, a chasm in a general institution of the useful sciences.” October 7, 1822 to the Board of the University of Virginia.
It certainly seems Jefferson really wasn’t a strict separationists when it came to the question of religion and its role in public educational institutions. Of course seculars will argue Mr. Jefferson would oppose this same sentiment being applied to primary and secondary education institutions on the basis it would constitute some form of propagandizing impressionable youths … not that exposing impressionable youths” to atheist ideology is propagandizing them, right?
57 RedPepper // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Darthmeister: “instruction in religious opinion and duties”? Our young “skulls full of mush” can’t even handle secular opinions that differ from their own, let alone religion!
All of which is thoroughly illustrated by this fairly long (but well worth the time and effort) piece in City Journal by John Leo: Free Inquiry? Not on Campus .
BTW, where’s Godfrey? He needs to read this one …
58 RedPepper // Feb 1, 2007 at 10:54 pm
And - coincidentally - Little Green Footballs has put up a thread on an incident from last night:
Video: Muslim Students Disrupt Daniel Pipes Speech at UC Irvine .
Last night at the University of California Irvine, the Muslim Students Union staged a threatening, thuggish disruption of a talk by Daniel Pipes. LGF readers were there with their cameras.
59 everthink // Feb 2, 2007 at 12:56 am
Henry,
Re: 52
That’s just another terrorist threat we’ll have to deal with, but be careful now, not to believe your own propaganda; and don’t forget to get your deferment request in early.
ET
60 Godfrey // Feb 2, 2007 at 3:28 am
R.A.M. is Harry Daschle is R.A.M. - I was actually wondering what happened to ol’ R.A.M. at one point. Good to know you’re still around.
So answer me this: you’d rather take your car to a mechanic who is Christian than a mechanic who is competent? I’m not saying they can’t be both, of course, but if you had to choose…?
RedPepper: got swamped with work but noticed the article you posted. Looks interesting but it’s a long one…I’ll read it tomorrow as soon as I get a chance.
Hank: “Did it the Fonda blow-up dolls come with the anti-aircraft gun accessory?”
Hey, don’t knock the inflatable doll industry. I hear this Christmas they’re coming out with a new “suicide bomber” model that actually blows itself up…
Ba domp bomp.
61 Darthmeister // Feb 2, 2007 at 8:28 am
When art follows reality, eh Godfrey? I hear the Japanese hari kari culture is going to sue jihadists for copyright infringement.
62 Public Eye » Boston Repels Terrorist Attack By Cartoon Characters // Feb 2, 2007 at 9:58 am
[…] Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL. « Air Force colonel reports strange lights overArkansas […]
63 Harry Daschle // Feb 2, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Godfree: Truthfully, I have not had to choose anyone other than a Christian, at least since I have been looking at that requirement first. God has so far led me to those people. Maybe you won’t understand this but, I have FAITH HE will continue to do just that!
If my mechanic was incompetent, then I don’t believe he would be a real Christian! To me a Christian would do his best, as if he were doing it for God, and if he was not competent at whatever he was doing, (in my opinion), he would be taking advantage of others, and taking money falsely. A true Christian wouldn’t do that.
I rely for my needs on word of mouth from my Christian friends who I have built a trust in over the years, but even if a person in business claims to be a Christian and does the customer wrong, they will not remain in business very long.
I truly trust in my God, and have experienced very little times of being taken advantage of, but the times I have, I feel God used it for good perhaps to turn that persons life around. It sure didn’t hurt me, as I forgave them for it, and in that way it helped me too!
Now, will you tell me where the words, “Separation of Church and State” are in the Constitution? This is the third time I have asked!
Just so you know, I respect your choice to not believe, but I hope you do not mind my praying that God will show Himself to you! I do believe you to be a good person!
64 Effeminem // Feb 4, 2007 at 2:02 pm
If there were no exposed wires, would anyone have thought it was a bomb? Is this any different from putting up Garage Sale signs?
65 SassaFrassin.com » Lessons Learned // Feb 5, 2007 at 7:49 am
[…] I have to admit I wasn’t really thinking about this incident much, until I was reading Mr. Jacoby’s fine essay. I was glad someone responded in that way, I guess. I laughed at Scrappleface’s take on it. […]
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