Adult Swim’s Goofball Marketing Stunt That Caused A City-Wide Bomb Scare

By:
Adult Swim’s Goofball Marketing Stunt That Caused A City-Wide Bomb Scare
Aqua Teen Hunger Force was the king of Adult Swim for a decade and a half.

The show was born out of goofball antics - a rough cut of the pilot aired, unannounced, before Adult Swim even technically existed - and to goofball antics it would return again and again. Most notoriously, the guerrilla marketing campaign that caused a city-wide panic:

Not one person on the scene recognized it as a Mooninite: Those pissed-off pixelated moon people from Aqua Teen Hunger Force: CRACKED.COM

They were popping up all over the country. But only the Boston police responded as if they were under attack from a Batman villain. CRACKED.COM

The bomb squad actually detonated the first device. BREAKING NEWS ANOTHER DEVICE FOUND AT FENWAY PARK 300 6:03 As reports: of more Mooninites came in;

In reality, it was a guerrilla marketing campaign for the new ATHF movie. LGTA TEEX MUNGER OCE couox MOVE PILAM O THOLATECIES Cartoon. Network's marke

It took a young staffer at the mayor's office to point out that maybe this wasn't a national security threat. SUSPICIOUS DEVICES Sullivan Square Longf

Zebbler was only contracted for $300, by the way But think of the exposure! Actually, in a happy twist, Zebbler later won a huge contract from the cit

The next year, ATHF wrote and produced an episode lampooning the whole ordeal. Turner nixed it becauise the bomb scare had cost them millions of dolla

In the end, Turner owed $2 million to the city of Boston. BREAKING NEWS TURNER BROADCASTING ADMITS HOAX WAS PART OF A CARTOON PROMOTION The film's bud

Sign up for the Cracked Newsletter

Get the best of Cracked sent directly to your inbox!

Tags

Recommended For Your Pleasure

Forgot Password?