Comments on: Improved Billboard Touts AT&T and NSA Collaboration

Improved Billboard Touts AT&T and NSA Collaboration

homunculus — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:00:15 -0800

"The Billboard Liberation Front today announced a major new advertising improvement campaign executed on behalf of clients AT&T and the National Security Agency. Focusing on billboards in the San Francisco area, this improvement action is designed to promote and celebrate the innovative collaboration of these two global communications giants." [Via Threat Level.]

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:03:09 -0800

One billboard? That's a big press release for one billboard.

By: ioerror

ioerror — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:07:14 -0800

It's a big billboard for what it's worth. It's still up!

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:12:48 -0800

First jonmc and now this. Yikes.

By: malaprohibita

malaprohibita — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:18:53 -0800

I love these guys.

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:20:34 -0800

I applaud the effort, I just wish they'd come up with a wittier slogan. "AT&T WORKS IN MORE PLACES - LIKE NSA HEADQUARTERS" isn't all that clever, although I suppose it gets the message across.

By: M.C. Lo-Carb!

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:26:19 -0800

I applaud the effort, I just wish they'd come up with a wittier slogan. "AT&T WORKS IN MORE PLACES - LIKE NSA HEADQUARTERS" isn't all that clever, although I suppose it gets the message across. Huh. I thought it was pretty funny.

By: cortex

cortex — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:30:49 -0800

DecemberBoy, the point is that it's a minimal alteration of the existing AT&T advertising campaign.

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:35:16 -0800

*takes a bow*

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:36:11 -0800

So, can I come to their house and paint various slogans on the walls?

By: Hat Maui

Hat Maui — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:38:04 -0800

So, can I come to their house and paint various slogans on the walls? sure, but only because your analogy is so precise.

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:41:11 -0800

Ok first, we never damage the board permanently. Its 20 foot long poster mounted to chip board and then applied with foam picture tape. Comes off easily. Second, there is a $60 bottle of 12-year Scotch right below the NSA letters with an apology letter to the workers who have to remover our 'improvement'. Third, if you can think of something funnier there is a HOWTO article on our site. Knock yerself out.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:42:24 -0800

If we let the culture jammers win, then the culture jammers have already won.

By: cortex

cortex — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:44:20 -0800

$60 bottle of 12-year Scotch Milton, please vandalize my billboard next. (What label, by the way?)

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:45:08 -0800

Macallan

By: sully75

sully75 — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:46:09 -0800

Awesome!!

By: Brak

Brak — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:47:21 -0800

Bravo, BLF. This is still my favorite though.

By: Brak

Brak — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:48:38 -0800

Oh, and on preview: MetaFilter: Please vandalize my billboard next.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:50:57 -0800

Second, there is a $60 bottle of 12-year Scotch ... Well, in that case...

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:53:40 -0800

AT&T. Your World. Delivered. To The NSA.

By: cell divide

cell divide — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:53:55 -0800

Great campaign.

By: rusty

rusty — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:57:43 -0800

For all that's wrong with Maine, at least we banned billboards.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:02:31 -0800

Second, there is a $60 bottle of 12-year Scotch right below the NSA letters... It's gone. I checked. The apology's still there.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:07:28 -0800

Two apologies.

By: idiotfactory

idiotfactory — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:13:20 -0800

God I hate that advertising campaign. It makes me want to stab myself in the face with a wire tap.

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:13:48 -0800

*shakes angry fist at WGP*

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:29:41 -0800

This is funny, but it does nothing. Most people unfamiliar with the story won't get it.

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:34:43 -0800

This is funny, but it does nothing. Most people unfamiliar with the story won't get it. posted by doctor_negative Eponysterical

By: chudmonkey

chudmonkey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:41:21 -0800

When I think about the AT&T/NSA situation, I just get so angry and confused. In my mind, it's utterly emblematic of how the USA is broken. A secret conspiracy whose execution potentially violated the constitutional rights of every single US citizen, and all the people responsible for it are free from punishment or even serious censure of any kind... So now, after-the-fact, we mock them with hacked billboards? I think that I were an American and concerned enough to do something like this, I'd have kidnapped and assaulted a responsible executive instead.

By: foodgeek

foodgeek — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:42:49 -0800

Eponysterical Can we be done with this?

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:45:22 -0800

So now, after-the-fact, we mock them with hacked billboards? I think that I were an American and concerned enough to do something like this, I'd have kidnapped and assaulted a responsible executive instead. I wasn't given the People's Official Response To This Outrage sash. You are welcome to lash out in your own way. The BLF has existed since 1977, this is how we ALWAYS respond.

By: ORthey

ORthey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:46:43 -0800

Eponysterical this needs to stop.

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:49:49 -0800

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol5IrnYIfI0 us in action, you saw it here first

By: Salmonberry

Salmonberry — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:54:24 -0800

Hey, I produce a lot of outdoor and billboard artwork in ad agencies. Where is my scotch? Ok, so I didn't work on this campaign...or any other in the USA...but still. I like scotch! The note of apology and the bottle of scotch will more than please the guys who put up replacement artwork. All outdoor - billboards, transit shelters, bus ads, etc, are printed with extras to allow for "spoilage" (the polite term for OMGWTFVANDALS), so this sort of thing doesn't really cost the client in terms of hard costs, even if the hacked art damaged the original poster. It'll just piss off a few execs, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. In fact, as a confirmed Professional Ad Weasel I must admit I like hearing and seeing this sort of thing go down. Adds a little danger to the industry! OOoOOOoOOoOOOoHHhHhhhhHh danger! Also, I like scotch.

By: jaronson

jaronson — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:00:15 -0800

Eponysterical Can we be done with this? Can we be done with that? this needs to stop. that needs to stop.

By: Mental Wimp

Mental Wimp — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:00:56 -0800

So, can I come to their house and paint various slogans on the walls? No, but NSA can come to your house and listen to your phone calls.

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:05:02 -0800

Ceiling cat is working for AT&T.

By: chudmonkey

chudmonkey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:07:24 -0800

*takes a bow* Third, if you can think of something funnier there is a HOWTO article on our site. Knock yerself out. I wasn't given the People's Official Response To This Outrage sash. You are welcome to lash out in your own way. The BLF has existed since 1977, this is how we ALWAYS respond. Before MiltonRandKalman started posting in this thread, I was mentally giving the BLF a good deal of credit for being socially conscious and active. But their spokesman has revealed that this is a just an impotent snark* writ large, and the BLF are likely just a bunch of self-aggrandizing, self-interested** prankster hippies. *Just like this post, yes. ** Just like me, yes.</small?

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:12:59 -0800

correct on all points except for the part about being hippies... If you want socially conscious culture jamming, I would suggest Adbusters magazine... we just do this for a gas...seriously.

By: luriete

luriete — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:23:41 -0800

Every month of the year, at least a dozen billboards I designed are up all over Sacramento, CA and surrounding communities, and not once have I ever received a bottle of scotch. Thanks a lot.

By: Squid Voltaire

Squid Voltaire — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:23:58 -0800

So, really? There's nothing to be gained by helping to ensure that these stories stay alive in the public consciousness? Stuff like this doesn't in any way reinforce the brand association of "AT&T" and "spying on your private calls"?

By: chudmonkey

chudmonkey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:29:14 -0800

I appreciate your reply, MiltonRandKalman, not that I think I could have stopped it. I'm not interested in socially conscious culture jamming, for the record. When I think about the AT&T/NSA thing and the larger War on Terror umbrella issue, what I really want is a bloody revolution. I want the average American citizen to be so damned insistent on responsible government that a good percentage of the Bush administration and the AT&T Board of Directors wind up in prison, or worse. The thing is, I realize that a bunch of people defacing a billboard to call attention to such a travesty is better than a bunch of people not doing anything at all, and certainly a lot better than a bunch of people who don't even know that the NSA or AT&T did anything wrong. And I think the billboard gag is funny. But it still makes me sad to know that this billboard is the closest thing some responsible individuals will get to comeuppance, particularly when the pranksters responsible admit that they are only in it for laughs. That makes in base vandalism, in my opinion.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:30:39 -0800

Ceiling cat is working for AT&T. So is Snuggly the Security Bear.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:31:47 -0800

the BLF are likely just a bunch of self-aggrandizing, self-interested** prankster hippies. Hippies are bad.

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:34:39 -0800

But it still makes me sad to know that this billboard is the closest thing some responsible individuals will get to comeuppance, particularly when the pranksters responsible admit that they are only in it for laughs. I got a few emails asking if they could donate, I told them to give it to the EFF in our name.

By: quin

quin — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:52:26 -0800

I can think of one thing that would make a more powerful statement against the egregious actions of AT&T, but no one would get it, and it would be really hard to do. I just want to see some billboards with the call records of their CEO, CFO, CTO, etc. showing who they spoke with, and how long they talked for. Ideally, I would make sure anything untoward was highlighted to ensure that they had something to answer for.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:20:31 -0800

Macallan That's good, because if it was Bruichladdich, that might make you a terrorist.

By: regicide is good for you

regicide is good for you — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:34:48 -0800

I'm not interested in socially conscious culture jamming, for the record. When I think about the AT&T/NSA thing and the larger War on Terror umbrella issue, what I really want is a bloody revolution.I want the average American citizen to be so damned insistent on responsible government that a good percentage of the Bush administration and the AT&T Board of Directors wind up in prison, or worse. 1) Individual outrage 2) ~~Propaganda and communication~~ ?????? 3) Mass action Help me out here.

By: signal

signal — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:38:13 -0800

MiltonRandKalman: we just do this for a gas...seriously. So, it's sort of LoLCats?

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:18:46 -0800

So, it's sort of LoLCats? I think that might be an over-simplification. We don't do 'political' hits per se but our work obviously generates debate that spans political discussion about public space. In essence, we don't take ourselves that seriously (see our press releases and mission statement).

By: gman

gman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:22:12 -0800

the video.

By: gman

gman — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:25:38 -0800

oopsy daisy.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:35:48 -0800

*sighs loudly* That bottle of Scotch... won't someone think of the academics?

By: JHarris

JHarris — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:53:47 -0800

MiltonRandKalman, I just want to thank you for your work. This kind of thing, IMO, is concentrated awesome in all ways.

By: treepour

treepour — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:51:51 -0800

Every time I learn of one the BLF's actions, I rejoice that laughter & joy have struck a blow against gravity and despair.

By: exlotuseater

exlotuseater — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:58:17 -0800

bravo

By: rhymer

rhymer — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:34:32 -0800

Rather worryingly for AT&T, I thought that the original "...places like CHILONDOSCOW" was a hack too, a reference perhaps to the sharing of information with friendly and unfriendly governments. It's an odd ad. Or maybe I should just learn to take some things at face value.

By: bashos_frog

bashos_frog — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:12:21 -0800

Maybe that's why I love Bruichladdich so much - it's whiskey of mass destruction (of my brain cells, and stomach lining at least...). Well, that, and the fact that I can pronounce it correctly.