'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' stunt brings Boston to a halt

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By Stone Martindale Feb 1, 2007, 4:45 GMT

BOSTON, MA - Turner Broadcasting has announced to the press they claim responsibility for the "hoax devices" that were found at several locations in and around Boston today that forced anti-terrorist police bomb units to scramble throughout the area, causing havoc and massive traffic snarls in Beantown.The incidents were the result of a marketing campaign that involved a character from the cartoon show that is part of the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim's animated television show, "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."A statement was released by Turner Broadcasting saying the packages were magnetic lights that were harmless. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim's animated television show owned by Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of Cartoon Network.The company stated that they have been in place for weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco and Philadelphia.Turner Broadcasting regrets that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger and is working with all local law enforcement agencies per their statement.WCVB Boston ABC affiliate reports that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick praised the response of law enforcement and said that he was "dismayed to learn that many of the devices are a part of a marketing campaign by Turner Broadcasting.""This stunt has caused considerable disruption and anxiety in our community. I understand that Turner Broadcasting has purported to apologize for this. I intend nonetheless to consult with the attorney general and other advisors about what recourse we may have," Patrick said."Emergency deployment teams were sent into the center of the city immediately upon these reports. There were significant shutdowns of not only highways, but rail traffic with the MBTA," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said. "Several of the devices do have common characteristics, but it is too early to say how many are connected."Local media reports that the first device was found under Interstate 93, and the state police bomb squad was called and detonated the package in Sullivan Square.Officials told the ABC affiliate it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device," but they said it had no explosives.Boston police then received four calls, all at about 1 p.m., reporting more devices. Officials responded to at least nine locations, including the Boston University Bridge, the Longfellow Bridge, the McGrath O'Brien Highway in Somerville, a comic store on Harvard Avenue in Brighton, a location near the intersection of Stuart and Columbus streets, a location near Washington and Water streets and under the McCarthy Overpass in Somerville, according to the ABC affiliate.A device described by officials as a pipe bomb was found in the basement of the Tufts New England Medical Center at 185 Harrison Ave."It's a hoax, and it's not funny," Patrick said. "I think we fell at this point, that there is not a reason for anyone to panic, but there are reasons to be diligent."Storrow Drive eastbound was shut down for a brief time, and the MBTA suspended service on the Red Line and planned to bus afternoon commuters between Kendall and Park Street stations."Our device was not an active device. We are still treating the area as a crime scene. There were no injuries. Everyone was evacuated properly, and everyone now back to their locations," Tufts New England Medical Center's Brooke Hynes said.MBTA Lt. Sal Venturelli said police were told about the first package by a transit passenger who spotted it on a column that supports I-93. The parcel was located on an elevated structure above the bus way and below I-93 in the Charlestown section of Boston at about 8 a.m."This is a perfect example of our passengers taking part in Homeland Security," Venturelli said.

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ken chaseFeb 1st, 2007 - 05:48:05

1) anyone who says this is a failed marketing campaign go check how many matches there are for Aqua Teen Hunger Force on news.google now (LA Times said it, you'd think they'd know something about advertising.) I bet about 1000 times more people now know what ATHF is now than yesteday.

2) Paranoia has become the american way of life. The govt has already figured how to leverage that into controlling the populace. Time to take a chill pill before its too late (or is it).

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lk;asdfjklFeb 1st, 2007 - 05:56:52

how about posting a picture of the sign? *geez* Talk about paranoid.

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disgruntled employeeFeb 1st, 2007 - 06:14:04

i think too many people are taking '24' too seriously

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JasonFeb 1st, 2007 - 06:14:06

I suppose anything with lights, wires, and batteries should be considered hacked together bombing devices. Give me a break.

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i did your momFeb 1st, 2007 - 06:15:21

This was a good marketing campaign now 100x more ppl know what athf is

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NitsuntoFeb 1st, 2007 - 06:17:35

I am a photographer for a local paper here in Boston, MA.
As soon as I saw the thing, i said it was a viral marketing campaign for ATHF.
THIS IS ALL VERY SILLY TO ME. This is a HUGE over-reaction to what will eventually become a very common marketing strategy. They did not figure this out early on and arrested some poor art student as an expression of their hurt pride. KUDOS BPD for being so far out of touch with the modern times....

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Barak09Feb 1st, 2007 - 06:30:53

regardless of how people are reacting to these 'threats' it's evident that there's enough concern out in the public and government where things like this is a big deal. i don't personally get the blinking device as a marketing campaign cuz i don't watch much of ATHF, but it seems like if there was some kind of disclosure on the event before, it might have made things less crazy for everyone.

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sargamFeb 1st, 2007 - 06:43:17

Of course the ad campaign 'worked' - duh - but it was also unethical - duh!! - because it disrupted thousands of unwitting people's lives (a public nuisance), plus the actual crime of hoaxing bomb squads ie. misusing police resources.

Turner should pay for the police work plus a criminal fine plus another fine for hooliganism, in the form of a contribution to a general charity fund. And it should be enough to discourage trendy wanna-be's to come. Anything less than 5 million here will make their corporate ad managers crow about the clever score. The fine should take into account the size of the perpetrators pockets and it should more than wipe out their standing to gain.

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BranFeb 1st, 2007 - 07:02:50

They didn't look like bombs, it wasn't a 'bomb hoax.' They were little magnetic things with lights on them in the shape of a character form the show. It looks nothing like a bomb at all and this whole thing is so stupid as to be beyond words. Turner shouldn't be sued, the morons who shut down a city because there were blinking light cartoon characters on things should be sued.

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Mike S.Feb 1st, 2007 - 07:03:00

Ten cities. Ten devices per city. Fourteen days. That's 1400 'device-days' of exposure of crowds to something that experts can't tell from an improvised explosive device before ONE of them was noticed. GIVE IT UP FOLKS!!!!! If Al Qaida attacks they WILL succeed, 4 for 4 just like last time. If they aren't it's because Bush is paying them off and protecting Bin Laden.

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