ITV

Tag: Hunger Force

  • Cartoon Network head Jim Samples resigns after Boston terror scare

    Cartoon Network head Jim Samples resigns after Boston terror scare

     MUMBAI: Following a marketing stunt that went all wrong, resulting in the bomb scare in the city of Boston, Cartoon Network head Jim Samples has announced his resignation via an internal memo sent to the network’s staff.

    “It’s my hope that my decision allows us to put this chapter behind us and get back to our mission of delivering unrivaled original animated entertainment for consumers of all ages,” Samples said.

    “Compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch,” he added.

    Samples has been with the network for 13 years.

    On 5 February, Turner Broadcasting, of which Cartoon Network is a division, and the advertising agency involved agreed to pay $2 million in compensation for the emergency response the devices had spurred in Boston.

    The agreement between Turner, Interference Inc. and several state and local agencies resolves any potential civil or criminal claims against the two companies, states an official release.

    The guerilla marketing campaign by Cartoon Network was intended to promote the upcoming movie release of its late-night cult Aqua Teen Hunger Force which triggered a police alert for a possible terrorist threat on 31 January.

     

  • Cartoon Network outdoor ads set off terror alert in Boston

    Cartoon Network outdoor ads set off terror alert in Boston

    MUMBAI: An outdoor campaign by Cartoon Network to promote the upcoming movie release of its late-night cult hit Aqua Teen Hunger Force triggered a police alert for a possible terrorist threat in the US city of Boston on Wednesday.

    The scare spurred the Boston police to close highways, two bridges and a stretch of the Charles River before bomb squads determined the supposed bombs to be nothing more than electronic light boards (38 in all) depicting a Mooninite (one of the show’s alien characters) giving drivers the middle finger.

    Two men who placed the objects have been charged, state officials said. Boston authorities are reportedly seeking damages to the tune of $ 500,000 as costs incurred in responding to the scare.

    Following the ruckus, Cartoon Network’s parent company Turner Broadcasting released a statement: “We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger.

    “We also directed the third-party marketing firm who posted the advertisements to take them down immediately.”

    The apology didn’t satisfy incensed Congressman Ed Markey, who released a statement slamming the campaign: “Scaring an entire region, tying up the T and major roadways, and forcing first responders to spend 12 hours chasing down trinkets instead of terrorists is marketing run amok. It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt. Whoever thought this up needs to find another job.”

    That the “suspicious devices” had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston and in nine other cities — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), Austin (Texas), San Francisco and Philadelphia — is the most curious aspect of this terror-filled tale.