Turns Out Putting Coupons for Free Phones in Balloons and Letting People Shoot Them Down Is a Bad Idea
In such an overcrowded market, you can never be too creative with smartphone promotional events–unless of course those events turn into dangerous target practice with BB guns and a “long, pointed staff.”
In order to drum up excitement for its newest phone, the G2, LG decided to take its “G2 in the cloud” theme literally and place 100 coupons for the new device in helium-filled balloons at an event in Seoul. They then released the balloons up in the air and encouraged the crowd to get them down however they could.
Eager for free smartphones, several people in the crowd brandished BB guns and one even took out a “long, pointed staff” to be used in an attempt to shoot down the balloons.
This was, indeed, as dangerous as it sounds: The Verge reports 20 people were injured, and LG has promised to cover any medical expenses incurred from injuries at the event.
Meanwhile, most of the balloons flew off too fast to be secured, even by those wielding weapons.
