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From Apryl Duncan, for About.com

Dark Knight Promo Sparks Bomb Scare

Wednesday August 13, 2008
Straight from the "What were they thinking?" files, a promotion for the new Dark Knight Batman movie lead to a news station calling a bomb squad and the building being evacuated. A chocolate cake with wires coming out of it and a phone number written across the top was sent to KENS 5 TV.

The Santikos Theater movie chain's goal was to promote Dark Knight. The result was the local San Antonio, Texas, bomb squad being called in. The publicity stunt is too reminiscent of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force promo that was mistaken for a terrorist threat. That botched publicity stunt lead to the resignation of the executive VP and general manager of Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network.

More on the Dark Knight Publicity Stunt:

The movie theater had also placed a classified ad from the Joker trying to recruit clowns and asking those interested to attend the Dark Knight premiere. A fake news report appeared on the local FOX affiliate saying graffiti artists had spray painted the Batman symbol on the theater completed the campaign. Santikos Theater reps say the cake bomb didn't get them the kind of attention they were hoping to attract and an apology was issued to the TV station.

Comments

August 13, 2008 at 9:26 pm
(1) Jim T. says:

Boneheaded for sure but even with the apology, I have to wonder if they knew what they were doing just to get the publicity.

August 14, 2008 at 7:57 pm
(2) Mr.rognon says:

Bonehead! It is always scary how much damage one person can make, and I think that was what the Dark Knight was kind of addressing, along with other topics.
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