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Fear and Loathing in the Bay State |
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posted by Matthew
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Thursday, 08 February 2007 |
The Aqua Teen Hunger Force terror scare in Boston.
"With an Aqua Teen Hunger Force film due for release in early '07, Cartoon Network's corporate parent, Turner Broadcasting, hired New York-based marketing firm, Interference Inc., to produce a viral marketing campaign in eleven U.S. cities. In late 2006, Interference Inc. hired two young Boston-area artists, Belorussian immigrant Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens to place 38 LED signs (of one of two villains of the show, either Ignignokt or Err, defiantly gesturing with the middle finger) in the Boston area. By January 29th, all of these quasi "lite brites" (the ensemble consisted of printed circuit boards and other easily accessible electronic components, with LEDs and a pack of D-Cell batteries to power these 2.5 sq ft. signs) had been installed around high-traffic sites in the metroplex.
During the January 31, 2007 rush hour, a transit employee spotted one of these signs on a supporting beam of I-93, near downtown Boston. Mistaking the "Mooninite" for an explosive device, the Boston Police Department closed the northbound lanes of I-93. By the early afternoon, other "Mooninite" sightings led to two major bridge closures, and boat traffic on the Charles River was banned. It wasn't until the late afternoon that the public knew that these were part of a benign viral marketing campaign. Turner issued a press release, and soon after, Berdovsky and Stevens were arrested." (Full article on Ctheory.net)
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last updated ( Wednesday, 14 February 2007 )
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