Dr. Pepper Promotion Shuts Down Boston Crypt

The city of Boston is mad again and this time it's not at Time Warner. For the second time in just a few short weeks, a company's promotion has interrupted business as usual for the city.

• Free Publicity Not So Cheap: Stunt Costs Turner $2 Million
• Dr. Pepper Promotion: Consumers Turned Treasure Hunters

Granary Burying Ground had to be closed over the weekend when a Dr. Pepper promotion hinted that a gold coin that could be worth $1 million might be buried at the historic site. Officials from the Boston Parks Commission feared the treasure hunters that showed up Saturday would destroy the grounds where John Hancock, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin and other historical figures are buried.

Dr. Pepper cancelled the contest and pulled the coin from the entrance of a 200-year-old crypt. Now one winner will be selected at random from the Dr. Pepper Web site for $10,000, the value of the Boston coin. The winning $1 million coin was found in Houston, Texas.

More on the Dr. Pepper Promotion:

The promotion comes on the heels of Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network placing light boards around Boston and other cities. The light boards were mistaken for terrorist devices and shut the city down. Turner Broadcasting and New York ad firm Interference ended up paying $2 million to Boston to help cover the cost of police and other state agencies.

Placing light boards around cities without permission and putting coins in historic locations without permission -- are these genius marketing ideas or irresponsible promotions? Click on the Comments link below and share your thoughts.