Posted on 06/23/2005 6:05:15 AM PDT by Zunt Toad
An attempt to erect a 16-tonne ice pop in a New York square [Union Square] froze traffic and created a sticky situation for the company behind the stunt.
The soft-drink maker Snapple tried to get into the Guinness World Records book by installing the 7½-metre confection in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday.
As a construction crane began to haul it upright, a pink tide of kiwi-strawberry-flavoured fluid spread across Union Square.
The slush forced pedestrians to flee for higher ground. Firefighters closed off several roads, fearing that vehicles and bicycles could slip.
"What was unsettling was that the fluid just kept coming," Stuart Claxton of the Guinness Book of World Records told the New York Daily News.
"It was quite a lot of fluid. On a hot day like this, you have to move fast."
The frozen treat had to be fully standing to beat the world record, set in Holland in 1997 by a 6½-metre, nine-tonne ice pop.
Snapple called off the stunt while the ice pop was only partially lifted, fearing that it would collapse in the 27 C heat.
The company was trying to get publicity for a new line of frozen treats called Snapple on Ice.
Based on the representatives they send to Congress, that pretty much goes without saying.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/25493.htm
GURU DONNY BEHIND P.R. MELTDOWN
Public-relations czar Donny Deutsch's agency was behind the boneheaded stunt to build the world's largest ice pop in Union Square, which ended in disaster when it melted and turned the street into a dangerous slick of sugary goo.
But, in a violation of one of the first principles of p.r., Deutsch attempted to cover up the slip-up yesterday with a bizarre news release cheerfully claiming the event was nothing but "a great time."
On Monday, Snapple tried to build a 20-ton, 21/2-story kiwi-strawberry-flavored ice pop at the north end of the square to advertise its new frozen treats.
But with temperatures around 80 degrees, the huge blocks of ice melted and gushed into the street, sending pedestrians slipping and sliding — one woman went to the hospital with a badly sprained ankle — and causing three cyclists to fall off their bikes.
Snapple later issued a brief apology for the hazard and offered to pay the city for all costs.
Deutsch account executive Heather Kovins said the calamitous ice-pop idea was "a collaborative effort between Deutsch and Snapple."
A few hours after the Snapple snafu, the agency rewrote history in a press release declaring, "New Yorkers had great time kicking off the first day of summer." Bill Hoffmann
In New York City, roaches are a HUGE problem and rats are a HUGE problem. You can see rats racing around at dusk behind buildings or in the subway when it's quiet. Or near garbage piles. In the summer, the worst thing is the smell of a humid city street-- a lovely amalgamation of vomit, urine, maggots, rotting trash bags, all baking in the sun.
In fact, one of the worst streets was W 43rd across the street from the NY Times building....
Eeew. The last time I was in New York was the early 80's.
Yikes, anyone remember the movie "The Thing"?
I wonder if Levitra would have helped?
the snapple folks got a bazillion dollars of free publicity out of the meltdown...how dumb is that?
Photos in #1 and #18. Story in #22.
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Photos in #1 and #18. Story in #22.
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"Let's make a giant popcycle and show it off in the middle of summer in 90 degree heat!"
Especially summer in New York!
That's just what we New Yawkers need...in addition to police actions which stop the trains, construction on 42 St which blocks traffic into the Port Authority and water main breaks.....now we have a giant roach and ant bait at Union Square.
Still better than living in New Jersey.
"You're fired."
Just damn.
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LOL!!!!
So there was an upside!!!
OH THE HUMANITY!!!!
I'm reminded of the WKRP episode featuring a Thanksgiving publicity stunt - a live turkey drop from a helicopter... with Les Nessman reporting live and crying out "Oh the humanity!" and later the inept station manager, Mr. Carlson saying, "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
ummm, considering I cycle to work every day in NYC I wont say any more about your dumb comment.
So there was an upside!!!
Yep, with a big SPLASH! right into a giant puddle of sticky mess!!!!
Like that kid on the Simpsons says, "HA HA!!!!"
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