[Infowarrior] - Stupid Movie Promo = Public Terror Menace

[Richard Forno]

Talk about a REALLY STUPID idea.......but I guess any publicity for a movie
these days is considered good......wonder if the promoter will be forced to
reimburse localities responding to emergency calls arising from their
actions....I doubt it.  --rf


Movie Promotion Confused With Bomb in L.A.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060429/D8H9U66O0.html

Apr 29, 6:04 PM (ET)

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - A newspaper promotion for Tom Cruise's upcoming
"Mission: Impossible III" got off to an explosive start when a county arson
squad blew up a news rack, thinking it contained a bomb.

The confusion: the Los Angeles Times rack was fitted with a digital musical
device designed to play the "Mission: Impossible" theme song when the door
was opened. But in some cases, the red plastic boxes with protruding wires
were jarred loose and dropped onto the stack of newspapers inside, alarming
customers.

Sheriff's officials said they rendered the news rack in this suburb 35 miles
north of downtown Los Angeles "safe" after being called to the scene Friday
by a concerned individual who thought he'd seen a bomb.

Times officials said the devices were placed in 4,500 randomly selected news
boxes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in a venture with Paramount
Pictures designed to turn the "everyday news rack experience" into an
"extraordinary mission."

It was just that, at least for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
arson squad, which destroyed the box.

"This was the least intended outcome. We weren't expecting anything like
this," said John O'Loughlin, the Times' senior vice president for planning.

The devices are to remain in the boxes until May 7, two days after the film
is scheduled to open.