When I first heard about this, I thought "I wonder what the bumpers are going to be like on [AS] tonight." Then I got caught up playing FF XII and forgot to watch. I could see this driving up ratings (I don't know if it will increase DVD sales, though it will increase brand awareness, I suppose.) That said, I can't imagine this was the intended reaction they were going for. Someone certainly dropped the ball on this, and I could see the fallout from this hurting [AS] for a while.
You believe me, don't you? Please believe what I just said...
From what I've seen tonight, [Adult Swim] is apologizing for everything at the start of each half hour, so apparently they think it's bad publicity.
Guerrilla marketing which no one understands except those who are already familiar with the product isn't new (I think it's all Cartoon Network does nowadays), and this isn't the first time someone's gotten in trouble for their tactics being misunderstood. This is the most high profile example of trouble I know of, and I bet this incident will lead to this sort of undercover marketing fading away quite a bit.
Yeah, the MBTA station where they found the first box is the one I use, so I had big fun during my morning commute yesterday. Thanks, AS! Although to be fair, I finally got to use the, "Sorry I'm late, but there was a bomb scare on the train!" excuse with my boss, so, that's one thing I could cross of my list. The thing is that Adult Swim has a huge freakin' billboard with the logo 2 blocks from the station. Hell, if I had seen the box before they rushed us out, I could have told them what it was. Oh, well, at least no one got hurt.
"Naughty by Nature, Evil by Choice!" Evil Buddha... Wrestling Fan, Bud Man
Wouldn't the genius who thought this up have the brains to cover their bases and let someone know. I can't believe they hoped it would be viewed this way. On the other hand, it would appear that overreaction is an appropriate term.
Originally posted by DrDirtWouldn't the genius who thought this up have the brains to cover their bases and let someone know. I can't believe they hoped it would be viewed this way. On the other hand, it would appear that overreaction is an appropriate term.
I agree with you on both counts. The people overreacted (wouldn't a good bomb be inconspicuous?), but AS should have told someone in the mayor's office that this would be happening.
Originally posted by latimes.com (Registration Required)Authorities were informed by Turner Broadcasting Systems, which revealed the locations of the devices in cities including: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Philadelphia.
[...]
The two men who authorities say placed the electronic devices around the city were released from jail this morning, apparently amused with the publicity stunt that stirred fears of terrorism and shut down parts of the city.
Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were released on $2,500 cash bond after each pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct.
They waved and smiled as they greeted people in court. Outside, they met reporters and television cameras and launched into a nonsensical discussion about hair styles of the 1970s.
I just posted another thread about this in Current Events, as I didn't see this one here. Apologies.
Really, the Boston authorities have had a MASSIVE overreaction to this. It' was clearly not designed as any kind of hoax, the things look nothing like "suspicious packages", they were in place for TWO WEEKS before all this kicked off, and other cities haven't raised so much as a peep about them. Someone had a massive overreaction to a silly marketting campaign, and now they're blustering and firing off arrests and charges to cover their ass.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
FLEA sent me this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx2ytr2Oyv4 - my reaction was "although I wouldn't mind being 27 again, I think I'm better at 35." Good for them for having a blast and puncturing the self-importance of the media, but a little of that goes a long way and they lurched far into "hurtin' for a bannin'" territory by the time FNC gave up on the feed.
Watching the 1st video that is linked after the press conferance, it looks like these suspisios devices were little more than lite brites with magnets attached.
I'de think that dunkin donut cups littering the streets would be a bigger threat to Boston.
This really looks like a case of the authorities over-reacting and trying to save some face.
What's funny is this guy had not a single thing to do with the Adult Swim marketing campaign, as the show is run as entirely its own entity.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
Originally posted by Broadcasting & Cable articleThe company has been making a concerted effort to separate the Adult Swim-branded programming from the kid-targetted Cartoon Network fare in the minds of buyers, a process that was not helped by the Cartoon Network references in countless stories about the Adult Swim marketing gaffe.
I guess they're right, but I never really understood why Cartoon Network was going to such great lengths to try to establish [adult swim] as its own network. I always looked at Cartoon Network-[adult swim] the way I look at Nickelodeon-Nick at Nite. It's hard to call yourself your own network when you share the same channel.
I personally like what popped up on Urbandictionary and was sent out as the word of the day for February 2nd.
Mooninite Really sad somebody had to get an axe for such clever marketing, some places apparently don't get cable television or watch it thus didn't know about ATHF...mainly Boston, for such a movie.
PS: Yeah, changing sig...way to big.
(edited by jwrestle on 10.2.07 1444)
"We're like Soapbox Heroes and we've got so much to say."
See - I think it's more disgraceful to be blowing smoke up the rears of all of these CEOs for MONTHS before all of this imploded, taking their word as gospel that their companies were solvent and pitching them as good long-term investments because &quo...