And Another One!

Well, once again the art of guerilla marketing has disrupted a major U.S. city. This new report comes from an incident that happened last April in West Los Angeles at The Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Last spring Paramount Pictures, "placed digital devices in 4,500 news racks around the city" that played the Mission: Impossible III theme music whenever the door was opened. Some city dwellers, as well as a patient in the medical center, mistook the device for a bomb. The medical center was even evacuated for 90 minutes so the Los Angeles County Sheriff arson squad could blow up the device and news stand.

In result of the confusion, Paramount Pictures has given $75,000 to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center to compensate the hospital for having to do an emergency evacuation. "The matter was settled out of court after the U.S. attorney's office sent a letter to Paramount and the Times in January, saying it intended to sue but would be willing to discuss a settlement."

Paramount Pictures and all other companies that plan to use guerilla marketing need to respect people's lives, and I really mean that. I don't understand how Paramount got the devices placed in the building without being questioned or told otherwise. A hospital is a place that most feel safe in and a bomb threat from some bad sequel is the last thing patients and doctors need to worry about. Damn, Have some RESPECT!