Adult Swim Too Edgy? The Panic Over Mooninite Terrorists in Boston

On January 31, 2007, on orders from Adult Swim, guerrilla marketing firm Interference Inc. paid two men to place LED circuit boxes that looked like Mooninites from Aqua Teen Hunger Force around the city of Boston, as part of a marketing campaign to promote the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie. Some people got the joke, and unfortunately, some did not.

Various folks around Boston called authorities reporting that possible bombs had been placed around the city. Bridges and were closed. Traffic was stopped. The city experienced a panic over fear of terrorists that didn't exist.

It was a marketing strategy that bombed.

The characters depicted by the black boxes are Mooninites from Aqua Teen Hunger Force named Ignignokt and Err, obscene bitmaps from space who wreak havoc and chaos on Aqua Teen Hunger Force. These little pixelated dudes were flipping off passersby in the cities where they were planted, including Boston. Adult Swim had given instructions to place the boxes in spots most likely seen by that coveted demographic, males aged 18 to 34.

Apologies were issued in the form of a statement. Adult Swim also aired an apology at the beginning of the Adult Swim block of cartoons, saying, "We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger. We appreciate the gravity of this situation and, like any responsible company would, are pulling all necessary resources toward understanding the facts surrounding it as quickly as possible." Turner also ended all ATHF campaigns in other cities.

Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were hired to place the light boxes around Boston. They were arrested, and then released on $2,500 cash bond. They seemed to be amused by the situation when they met reporters upon their release, going on about 70s hairstyles. Later, Berdovsky released a statement through a Boston law firm. It said he "never imagined" the devices would be perceived as dangerous and he never intended to do anything to frighten the community. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told the AP that whoever planted the objects could face "two to five" years in prison for each device.

Cartoon Network general manager Jim Samples resigned February 9, 2007, taking blame for the marketing fiasco. The Hollywood Reporter reported that he said in an email to employees, "As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch." Turner Entertainment Group President Mark Lazarus, who got Adult Swim up and running in the beginning, thanked Samples for having "inspired cause-marketing initiatives that have made a difference in countless kids' lives."

Turner Broadcasting System, who owns Cartoon Network and its offspring Adult Swim, and Interference Inc. are paying $1 million to reimburse cities in the state for their expenses for mobilizing against an alleged terrorist threat. According to the Boston Globe, another $1 million in goodwill funds will be paid to the state, Boston, Cambridge and Somerville for homeland security awareness and emergency preparedness. Smart move on Turner's part: The agreement frees Turner Broadcasting from any legal liabilty for the incident.

In a post-9/11 world, perhaps the panicked callers and police are justified for their actions, which included closing bridges and highways, and even evacuating a hospital. At least one of the devices was actually detonated by a police bomb squad according to TVWeek.com. Just a little over a mile away from the placement of the first device, a group of terrorists boarded airplanes and launched an attack on New York City," police Commissioner Edward Davis said in an interview with The Associated Press. Many Bostonians feel the marketing stunt was reckless. Maybe they just don't like getting flipped off by a Lite Brite.

Many younger Bostonians are wondering what the fuss is all about. Of course, those Gen-X-Y-and-Zers most likely knew the light boxes had something to do with Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Keep in mind, The magnetic light boxes had been in place in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Philadelphia for two weeks. In the Seattle area, authorities thought the devices were "obviously not suspicious." I mean, didn't anyone in the police department have a kid who watches ATHF? But, maybe Turner and Interference Inc. should have notified authorities before placing the devices.

Hell, yeah! I bet there are thousands, if not millions, of people who had never heard of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but they know it now! The campaign itself was more of an inside joke than anything, meant to catch the attention of fans. If you didn't know what you were looking at, you would walking away knowing nothing about the movie. The campaign was meant to make fans feel cool and get their butts in the movie theater seats. But will any of those other folks who didn't get the joke go to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie when it's released? Only time and box office receipts will tell.

My guess is this marketing campaign will be used as an example in college and university classes for years to come. Whether it will be held up as a good or bad example, who knows?

At least a few folks profited directly from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force terrorist scare: Several of the Mooninite light boxes showed up on ebay, nabbed before the cops could get them all.

My new hero, King County sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart, summed it up best when he said, "In this day and age, whenever anything remotely suspicious shows up, people get concerned -- and that's good." But he goes on to say, "However, people don't need to be concerned about this. These are cartoon characters giving the finger.