[Peace-discuss] Hip-hop billboards

[C. G. Estabrook]

The shadowy MOR (Master of Opposition Research) for the 2002 Green party
congressional campaign has come out of retirement to aid the working group
for the Discernment of Inappropriate Satire Situations (DISS).

His/her report follows:

	"I called Adams Outdoor Advertising, which owns all the billboards
in town. The secretary couldn't tell me anything about the signs, but gave
me the cell phone number and voicemail for Rick Mills, the sales manager..
	"Rick Mills called back from Adams. He says the billboards are
part of a 3-phase teaser campaign. The next two phases should reveal more
about the advertiser. Unfortunately, the contract prohibits him from
revealing more. When the weather allows, the new billboards will come out.
He is not prepared to reveal much more, but says you can contact him
directly at Adams Outdoor Advertising...
	"I hope this helps...
	"'Information is the currency of Democracy' - Thomas Jefferson."
	
Update: some information on the client,

--from Chambana Community:

	"Didn't anyone watch the Channel 3 news yesterday [12/30]? The
6:00 news has a whole segment on this.
	"Apparently the sign were put up by a new hip hop/rap group that
is going to use the signs as advertising and a way to get people talking.
Yes, there is going to be a series of them. Allegedly, the one that was
vandalized was done so by people paid to do so."

--and from U-C Hip-Hop Congress:

	"Easy hip hoppers....this isn't what you think.
	"So some guy from WCIA Ch. 3 News in Champaign called me yesterday
asking about the billboards and if anyone from UC Hip Hop was down in
Champaign and knew anything about them..... I didn't know if anyone was,
or if they knew about it, I just knew that Debbie (DJ Su) had painted on a
few of them.
	"So I call Debbie, and then we three-way the news station... I
stayed on the line, despite knowing jack about this shit (I figured a.)
I'd find out and b.) if that reporter tried any evil reporter spin on this
graffiti story I'd pimp slap him...well.. er.. through the phone, you
know?
	"So apparently, Up A Notch Records (don't ask, I have no idea who
they are and if they will or will not put out your album, ha!) and Adams
Outdoor Advertising Company (or Agency or Ltd. or Firm or whatever
corporate jargon) are doing this campaign.
	"The billboards say 'Hip Hop Rots Your Brain' and it looks like
whomever wrote it did so in earnest....however... the master plan was for
the billboards to be vandalized.
	"The ad group contacted UC Hip Hop looking for artists (DJ Su,
Mos, some others) and they worked on the billboards finals week and the
week before I believe.
	"The ad group said 'do whatever you want to these.' For example,
on of her billboards, DJ Su crossed out 'Rots' and painted 'Frees'
above... you know? So basically, it LOOKS like this great back and forth
between people of warring beliefs, but it's actually playing on our
beliefs that someone WOULD actually put up a billboard saying 'Hip Hop
Rots Your Brain.'
	"In summation (ha!), it's a damn good marketing scheme. I'm not
sure how well it worked, however, because nobody seems to know a damn
thing about Up-A-Notch Records, which may or may not be based in Champaign
County and/or hyphenated. Maybe their next ad will be something that
brings it all together... like how some prescription pills have their
first commercials and you don't know WHAT the hell the pills do, you just
see people on swings and daisies and what not...and some nice voice
talking about Zepocatran, and then a few weeks later you find out it's
about complications involved with anal leakage or some nonsense like
that....you know?
	"That's what I can tell you all, from the best of my
knowledge.......
	"spread the word, my talking birds
	"peace"

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