2008.11.23
Blacksburg stunt bucks common sense
Every now and then, I get a hankering to give out an award for acts that strike me as just plain silly, insanely dangerous or downright senseless.
Last week, the folks behind a money-grabbing, promotional stunt in Blacksburg hit the trifecta.
The winner of the Shanna Flowers "What Were They Thinking?" award is ... drumroll, please ... the publicity feat dreamed up by an Ohio advertising firm promoting the opening of the new First & Main shopping center on Main Street.
The plan, which was retooled after town officials dubbed it too risky, was to drop 10,000 $1 bills from a helicopter hovering over First & Main the day after Thanksgiving.
Are you kidding me?
The busiest shopping day of the year? People out in droves, and money literally falling from the sky? In an economy like this? Not only would it attract early bird shoppers, but it also would be a cattle call for debt-burdened consumers from miles around, looking to score some extra loot for bills.
Advertising consultant Stuart Moss told me his agency has had three such cash drops and encountered no problems. A few days earlier, Moss told Roanoke Times reporter Tonia Moxley that he's seen "people show up with fishing nets, pillowcases and plastic bags."
Maybe there's no such thing as wind where the agency has held the other drops. Maybe it hasn't held them when roads were clogged with drivers trying to get from one shopping center to another.
Unfortunately, there's always a first time for a mishap. And Blacksburg officials correctly decided they didn't want it to occur in their hamlet. They raised the red flag on the helicopter drop.
"We just didn't think it was safe," Deputy Town Manager Steve Ross said.
"Whether a fight -- money's falling from the sky -- people might react in a way they normally wouldn't," he said.
Ross said town officials put in a quick call to the shopping center's developer, Fairmount Properties of Ohio, to share their concerns.
Quicker than you can say "pennies from heaven," the $10,000 giveaway took on a new format.
The first 2,000 shoppers now will receive an envelope containing a $5 bill. That may not be as dramatic as folks chasing stray dollar bills into the street or playing tug of war with a buck, but it's free money nonetheless.
"It's a little more of a conservative approach than what we're used to," Moss said, "but we're going to do it."
On second thought, let's create another award and give it to Blacksburg town officials.
We'll call it the "Thank Goodness, Cooler Heads Prevailed" award.
Shanna Flowers' column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Reading Shanna Flowers’ column about a proposed helicopter “money drop” on the day after Thanksgiving left me holding my sides laughing. It was not just the image of townsfolk in Blacksburg throwing punches as they fought for dollars from the sky that sparked my mirth, although that image was good for a chuckle. Most of my laughter came from the memory of one of the greatest Thanksgiving stunts of all time, the WKRP Turkey Drop.
For those too young to remember, WKRP was a television sitcom about a fictional radio station. In what may be the show’s most memorable episode, the hapless promotion crew decided to polish the station’s image by dropping live turkeys at a crowded shopping mall.
Of course, turkeys are essentially flightless birds. What was intended to be a generous gesture to listeners turned into mass panic as shoppers ran for their lives to avoid the hailstorm of plummeting turkeys, all described live on-the-air by a horrified newsman. Turkeys were “hitting the ground like bags of wet cement.”
Later, the chagrined station manager proclaimed, “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”
The more I think about it, I believe Blacksburg should allow the money drop. In the aftermath, I want to hear the mayor explain, “As God is my witness, I thought those people would behave themselves.”
I'm smiling because one of my co-workers told me about that episode of "WKRP." I missed that one, but it sounds hilarious! As I recall, the news man's name was "Les Nessman."--s
Comment by Peter Vieth — November 23, 2008 @ 10:50 am
"Maybe there's no such thing as wind where the agency has held the other drops."
Yes, these folk never seen the likes of Bleaksburg weather.
I'm not the moneybags guy that graces the front of Monopoly, but dropping a bunch of singles isn't really going to get me off my duff. Really. There are going to be plenty of people there...my time is more valuable than the *chance* of picking up $20.
And if I *did* happen to pick up $20, I wouldn't spend it there.
Comment by Ed S. — November 23, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
Even dropped on a parking lot from a low hovering helicopter, a marginal portion of the bills would scatter to places where they might be unrecovered-HVAC vents, storm grates, etc.-which would make it literally money down the drain. And might this be one of those image conscious shopping centers that ban holiday charity solicitors? It's hard to picture a freezing Salvation Army bellringer amidst this money grab in any way that would bring goodwill for the center.
For the past two years there has been a controversial proposal in California to ban aluminum foil helium balloons, because of their danger to wildlife, threats to power lines, and environmental problems. The power companies supported the ban because of the surprising frequency with which the balloons cause costly trouble with lines, birds and marine life are also harmed by them, and their ugliness persists in the environment just like plastic grocery bags. Besides the balloon makers, the proposal was opposed by bridal and party planners, florists, and some entertainment interests. So in interest group parlance, that's Big Energy and Big Environment vs. Big Bridal, Big Floral and Big Clown lobbies. As of now brides and clowns have kept the silver balloons from being relegated to indoor office parties and hospital wards.
But, if the shopping center wants to try the WKRP turkey drop, it turns out there's at least one prominent politician willing to do a photo op alongside turkey slaughtering, and she's already recently proven that she can bring out thousands in this area in the cold.
Comment by PJ — November 23, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
Why not do a frozen turkey drop?
Comment by Ed S. — November 23, 2008 @ 3:45 pm
Maybe a future gasoline drop is in the works.
Comment by Lerronious — November 23, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
S~
When I saw your post title I thought, wow this gal is going to nail the Va Tech, we need money, but are going to spend $50 million on referbing Hotel Roanoke,and another $50 million to build a parking, whatever in Blacksburg.. Yea, I know money is tight, and budget cuts are a happening, but seeing $100 million go out, tuitions go up, and those families who lost loved ones on 4-16-07, get so little... well I hoped this would be your story.
Oh, the bill drop was a good read, I'd just like to see a tad more meat.
Comment by Dona Wheeler — November 23, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
A year ago they would have dropped 10,000 pre-approved subprime mortgages.
Comment by Enkidu — November 23, 2008 @ 8:45 pm
With Hilary 'headed' abroad, they might just as well drop Monica Lewinsky on 125th Street in Harlem at the door of the offices of William Jefferson Clinton. Now that would be a 'turkey drop' for certain. Wild turkeys do fly pretty well, based on the 20 or so that live on or around my property.
As for the money drop, I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised to see someone killed or maimed over a handful of dollars. Bitter cold, possibly alcohol in some cases, the overall state of the economy and greed are a potentially lethal mixture.
Comment by Mike — November 23, 2008 @ 10:12 pm
Mike: I think they should drop the famous Vick brothers out of the helicopter along with 15-20 of Mike's pit bulls he didn't torture or kill (if there were any). Then he could sic the pit bulls on the people to run 'em into the new mall to spend money. How's that?
Comment by Percy Kution — November 23, 2008 @ 10:48 pm
In response to "turkeys are essentially flightless birds"...If you research (as I did before I posted my response) or have ever observed a wild turkey (which I have), you would find or know that wild turkeys DO fly! Domestic turkeys don't because they are "front heavy". Wild turkeys roost in trees at night and are powerful fliers who usually fly close to the ground. They can fly as fast as 50-55 mph for distances of about a quarter of a mile.
Comment by Just Me — November 23, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
Percy:
Don't mention pit bulls, please! One chased me while jogging this week and I thought I was a goner until a car came along to run him back to his owner. They definitely are capable of running a group into the mall. Better yet, why not have a Blacksburg running of the Bulls for Bills with every Bonehead for himself.
Comment by Mike — November 24, 2008 @ 12:23 am
Shanna
If memory serves me right they had a money drop in a Michigan Mall about 8yrs ago.
More like an Armored Truck turned over spilling the contents of money and the only thing returned of the $600,000 dollars was the canceled checks
I am right on that.
On second thought forget it, just counting the Armored car robberies during cash pickup this year alone is frightening. Total 14
Comment by Static Lines — November 24, 2008 @ 9:57 am
think about the thousands of college students just down the road who go nuts over free t-shirts, or free anything for that matter...now imagine those same kids with money falling out of the sky, wow.
Comment by HCS — November 24, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
Obama lies about the Fair Tax
Obama states on his website The Fair Tax hurt the cashflow of low-income families and individuals, as they would have to deal with an extra 23% rise in the cost of their purchases instead of a 7.65% withholding from their paycheck.
Not True: Under the FairTax Even a person
with a zero percent income tax rate today must pay payroll taxes on the first dollar they earn and also pay hidden federal taxes in the prices of everything they buy completely untaxing the poor.
Obama FairTax is designed to encourage people to save money instead of spend it since the tax would raise the "price" of spending money compared to saving it.
True not True: The FairTax will tax every dollar of accumulated wealth in the most efficient way possible – when it is spent. Tax shelters, loopholes, or other gimmicks to shield large wealth from taxation will be a thing of the past. Meaning the Wealthy will be truly taxed more because they spend more and have more than the poor.
Obama Third, it removes an important incentive for home buying buy raising the cost on older homes than newer homes.
An Excessive Lie: The FairTax makes home ownership more affordable because used homes are totally untaxed, and three out of four
Homebuyers buy used homes. For new and used homes, the FairTax does not tax the earnings used to pay mortgages, interest rates will be far lower under the FairTax, and a homebuyer can save for a down payment faster than under current law.
Here is the Kicker..
Obama said Americans are not really at the level of economic diversity and "understanding" as major corporations. Did he say stupid?
Maybe the real money drop, is just a drop in the bucket, for the Federal Government.
Comment by Static Lines — November 26, 2008 @ 5:56 pm