Isn’t it time the guerrilla marketers just leave Massachusetts the heck alone?
Latest stunt gone awry: A social-networking Web site — unidentified as of this moment — apparently strapped four black backpacks to a fence near a high school in Newton, Mass., a Boston suburb this morning, prompting an all-too-predictable visit from the bomb squad.
(Update: According to this report in the Patriot-Ledger of Quincy, Mass., this time the childish prank appears to be a childish prank.)
In February, Boston became the focus of nationwide attention and ridicule after public safety officials reacted — some say over-reacted — to what they perceived to be a potential serial bomber that actually turned out to be a marketing gimmick by a cable TV cartoon show.
“If it was a marketing ploy it was unfortunate, immature and disrespectful of our school,” said Newton School Superintendent Jeffrey, according to this report by a Boston television station.
The February stunt resulted in a pair of arrests.
And that obviously did little to dissuade imitators.
