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Do We Have A 'Dirigibles' Category?
Anyone see the blimp over downtown mpls last night? What was it advertising? Is it there normally, or am i just blind?
130 Reader Comments
My vision isn't so hot either...but downtown Minneapolis? Umm, we saw one over downtown Saint Paul...due to the big NHL/Minnesota Wild at the Xcel center. I didn't see what it was advertising though. Too busy trying to find an alternate route home, what with West Seventh blocked off for the festivities.
I saw it flying very low over the State Capitol around 5 p.m. and figured it was for the hockey game. On the side I could see it said "Enough is enough." I thought maybe it was some conservative group protesting how much money state government spends. lol.
It was there for the Hockey game. It was a big to-do.
i saw the "enough is enough" blimp too. i spent much of my commute trying to figure it out. i thought it might be a comment on finally having hockey back in town...or maybe something to do with the local push for stadiums...? why would someone go through the cost and effort for such obscure blimp advertising?
Perhaps it was an advertisement for blimp advertising?
Looks like it worked pretty well too!
It appears that en route from the hockey game to downtown Minneapolis the dirigible set off UFO sightings -- or that's what I'm guessing this means.
I was driving through downtown minneapolis this morning, and I saw a car with a blimp attached to its roof. I think it said "sick of hot air?" but I could not see exactly what it was advertising.
I saw it over downtown Minneapolis near the river at about 7:40 PM. I was on the Cedar Ave. bridge, and it was visible from Riverside Ave. as well. At first I thought it was a UFO. Then I thought I had sudenly flashed back to 1902. Huzzah!
I couldn't read the advertisement on the side, but it was mostly red, which lead me to believe that it was not the Goodyear blimp, since that would have a blue & yellow logo.
I'm so glad to see it mentioned here, because for a moment there I thought I was crazy.
The blimp also attacked downtown St. Paul during last Sunday's Marathon Race with the proufound message, "Have you had enough?"
They should lighten up. After all, it is a lighter than air craft.
I saw it too, but I remember it like a dream. As in: Driving along, "Uh, there's a blimp...." ".... Jayla's dreamy."
I heard Scarlett Johanson was in the blimp!
I saw it over downtown Mpls about 7:15 p.m. I nearly crashed my car into the concrete barrier as I merged onto I-94 from 35-W as I tried to read it.
However, I prefer the term "zeppelin."
Ah, viral advertising.
um well if I had said "hey everyone have you checked out [x blimp company]" then yeah, I'd be the (viral) advertiser.
but as it happened someone put up a lit up blimp and no one (who reads this site) has been able to say what was on it. which i think counts as bad advertising.
And if people knew what it was, we wouldn't be talking about it now, so it would be ineffective viral advertising.
Well, unless of course if the clients were in fact from outer space. Therefore, I conclude: "Good martian viral!"
unless, I repeat, it was an ad for blimp ads?
BTW: zeppelin are rigid structure airships, blimps are gas bags, hence much more appropriate for advertising.
And everyone knows martians don't like Zeppelin.
The bli . . . er, zeppelin I saw over downtown St. Paul said, "Enough is enough." I did a perfunctory Google search when I got home but couldn't figure out what the story was.
It's parked at the airport in Crystal. We did some checking at WCCO, and apparently there's around the clock security on the blimp! Our guess-- it's a Dish Network ad-- a la their tv ads about cable tv sucking.
WCCO tv had a story on this. Apparently, know one knows what it is all about, including the pilot. They actually had a reporter up in the air with him. I guess it's the first part of another one of these secret marketing schemes, which always turn out to be about something far less cool than the mystery would lead us to hope.
mnspeak should rent a blimp.
Who's to say we didn't? Maybe we're behind this dumb viral campaign.
Enough is enough!
What a waste! Oh, the humanity!
Hey, it's back, over downtown right now! Go look!
It says "Enough is enough" on one side and "Had it up to here?" on the other.
Just saw it about 20 minutes ago over downtown Minneapolis.
Enough is enough. Somebody fucking shoot it down.
Uh, it is pretty clearly an anti-Bush thing. Or maybe that's just me...?
it's been hovering around downtown Mpls the last 4 nights
dammit, my URL didn't work:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/deadflowerz/mysteryblimp.jpg
the thing has been down here for the last two days. considering how much speculation we've already put into it, i suppose it's been 100% effective.
Anyone else noticed that the color and typeface matches those Peter McLaughlin for Mayor lawn signs?
I posted my tinfoil hat theory about Peter McLaughlin and the blimp on my site with comparison photos. Thanks to solace for the photo of the blimp. I hope I'm wrong.
My first thought when I saw it Saturday about 6:30 for the first time was that it was a Peter McLaughlin stunt.
It was in North Minneapolis, traveled to South Minneapolis, and circled back to the North. Later in the evening it was above my house but moved off before I could get my camera.
Based on the WCCO story the name for the campaign is Red October.
"WCCO-TV's Bridgette Bornstein did learn it's called the Red October campaign and the message may change over the next month to keep people guessing. "
A google search on that name is interesting.
It looks like the South African Communist Party has had a
Red October Campaign for a few years now.
So if it is the Peter McLaughlin campaign, does that mean...
Inquiring minds...
It's back again - just saw it fly by my window in DT MPLS about two minutes ago.
The font to the Peter McLaughlin signs is strikingly similar. Mayor Blimp. HA!
The blimp is around downtown MPLS now. 9:25am 10/10/05
It's over 394 and 100 now
MNspeak: your real-time blimp tracker.
I'm actually starting to believe this McLaughlin theory is the most likely.
I saw the blimp in Stillwater yesterday....and it has also been seen out by Lake Minnetonka.
Interesting...
My co-worker's wife believes it belongs to Oprah! Apparently, Oprah has created an Enough is Enough campaign:
http://www.oprah.com/uyl/volunteer/special/vol_special_tech_02.jhtml
She's got the money. Does McLaughlin have enough money to fly a blimp around for a month to win a mayoral election?
....Oprah.... calories or money????
I loooooooooovvvve the Oprah theory. I suspect other markets would've reported it first though.
I would hope that McLaughlin doesn't have that much money.
But, if this is a campaign being run by Oprah, or some national or international company, why is the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area apparently the only place in the country running this campaign?
I know. It's moveon.org. The group with the most ironic name in history.
A Minneapolis mayoral candidate would not fly a blimp over downtown St. Paul.
oprah's had enough
enough is enough website
don't know if that's what's up though, or not.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it turns out it's an ad for an incontinence remedy.
maybe the 'red october' comment isn't the name of the campaign, but the name of the agency:
http://www.redoctoberproductions.com/contents/clients/
with an interesting client list...
Looks like the blimp came from D.C.
Regarding money: This MPR Story says that "Rybak's campaign [...] raised $245,000 between Jan. 1 and Aug. 30, 2005. [...] Peter McLaughlin, raised $211,000 over the same period." Doesn't seem like you can run a blimp and a full campaign at the same time with that.
The fact that it's been flying over Oakdale and Maple Grove along with all the other cities people have mentioned blows a big hole in the McLaughlin theory I think, as others have stated.
I can't imagine it's Oprah. The slogan matching enough.org's slogan I think is a coincidence just as much as the typeface and color are a coincidence with McLaughlin's campaign (so I hope).
My best guess now is that it's some anti-tax/anti-government/anti-everyone-but-me group with deep pockets.
The Red October link that maestro sent is quite interesting as well.
I would like to see McLaughlin tell us it's not him, though.
-Aaron
god i have to get back to work. i can't believe we're nowhere closer to really knowing.
did you know that the south african comunist party has a red october campaign for hunger?
maybe bono paid for it.
My first reaction was a progressive political group, connected to the war, but why minnesota?
It's the job/career internet site monster.com.
Rex, it seems pretty clear to me that you oughta invest in a MNSpeak.com blimp.
I snapped a crappy phone pic of the car-blimp driving up 11th St downtown today around 5:00.
http://flickr.com/photos/kidneybingos/51351860/
In answer to their question ... it's the blimp that drives us crazy.
It's almost like it's following me - Friday in Minnetonka, Saturday in Apple Valley, Sunday in Burnsville, Monday in South Mpls. spooky.
I'm a strong McLaughlin supporter and when I saw the mystery blimp tooling
around town I came to the same conclusion that a blogger arrived at the link
(http://s4xton.com/?p=1020).
It's got to be McLaughlin's because it's the right color, the exact right
font, and the right message. So when I called the McLaughlin campaign they
agreed with my analysis, but said they wouldn't comment on specific media
buys.
Now I am a little disappointed that McLaughlin's campaign would not just
come right out and say it was their blimp. I mean what is the mystery?
After all what's on the blimp? One side says "Had it up to here?" the
other says, "Enough is Enough!"
That could not be anything other than to highlight how inept the Rybak
administration has become. Because for the City of Minneapolis, Enough
Rybak is enough! We have "Had it up to here" with the mess Rybak has made of
housing, mishandling public safety, and the user fees which he uses to hide
the tax increases that his administration has levied upon poor residents and
small business in Minneapolis.
"Enough is Enough! Minneapolis has "Had it up to here" with Rybak!
I emailed Peter McLaughlin and Andy Pomroy today and neither have responded. I'll try calling tomorrow. If it's their ads on the blimp, the cat will be out of the bag long before they want. Regardless if Mayor Blimp or Rybak wins, the viral marketing campaign is annoying.
Thank you Jim for making the phone call. So the McLaughlin campaign wouldn't comment either way?
If it isn't their campaign stunt, an honest politician should admit that fact.
Based on the very high cost to rent a blimp and crew for a month, and the fact that it is making the rounds of the larger metro area instead of just Minneapolis, it is unlikely that it is the McLaughlin campaign.
So it would appear that Peter is now trying to ride someone else's coat tails for a freeby ad campaign.
I would also hope that before anybody made a name for their campaign official, they would check around a bit to see who else may have used the name before or currently. I know that as a supposed Democrat, I wouldn't want to blatantly associate myself with the Communist Party.
Isn't bad enough that Peter is already clearly a fascist?
right on duane. mclaughlin's campaign could never afford it, and his constituents would despise him for spending that much money on a friggin blimp.
we'll discover that this can't be related to any good cause. monster actually has used a lightship in the past for their advertising.
Today's Star Tribune article doesn't say anything we didn't already know but today's Pioneer Press article says we may find out as early as Wednesday.
-Aaron
An outside 527 could easily afford it and I doubt the moonbats that occupy Minneapolis would be upset if Move On or one of those other groups did it in support of Peter M. It may be just what he needs to turn out the moonbat vote.
I forgot to mention this in my previous post. If it is Peter M. (I can't spell his last name) I think it still makes sense that it flies all over the metro because the point is obviously to gain media attention and the more people who see it, the more media interest it will gain. A blimp over the downtowns is a small story. A blimp over the entire metro is a real story.
If this is for Peter M. via a 527 (which it would almost have to be) nice work!
Taxpayers League of Minnesota. I posted in the 'Little Brother' entry.
Could you define "moonbat"?
Someone who still has a "No War In Iraq" sign in their front yard.
So "moonbat" = smart and educated?
Why would having a "no war in Iraq" sign make someone a McLaughlin supporter?
Still? As long as the invasion/occupation of Iraq continues, the number of signs should be going up, not down.
Moonbat = comes and goes and can't stand the light
I've had enough! The next banner being flown will say oprah.com
I called the McLaughlin campaign office this morning and spoke with Melodie. I told her who I was and asked if the McLaughlin campaign as anything to do with the blimp. She said, "Um, well, no." Concerning the blimp being related to the McLaughlin campaign, she said, "I have heard that from people [...] It does seem like it; I can see people's logic." I asked her flat out again if the campaign has anything to do with it, and she said that she does not know about it.
She did imply she knew who I was and and she was aware that I had posted about it before I told her I did. I'm pretty sure the campaign is well aware of our conversation here.
She could very well be out of the loop, or this might add to the number of other holes people posted above that shoot down this McLaughlin theory.
-Aaron
Here is a news article about Oprah busting a child molestor based on a tip from Minnesota.
Today's Oprah is about busting child molestors.
Enough is Enough!
Where is the blimp now - anyone know?
Viral marketing campaigns are supposed to be funny, entertaining, charming, and smart. A blimp flying around with some bland, unprovacative text is annyoing, dumb, and boring.
I just saw the blimp at about 1 pm over Shoreview while I was listnening to Rush Limbaugh in my car.
A blimp is flying around town, and a few of you feign indignance.
Boring! Not clever! Annoying!
But you're not really irritated by it. Deep down you relish the oportunity to smugly toss about buzzwords like "viral marketing" because you're so damn savvy. Please.
It's over downtown Minneapolis at 2 pm
Whatever this turns out to be, it's a slap in the face to Twin Citians. Ordinances passed by duly elected representatives restrict advertising such as billboards to specific zones, in an attempt to balance the rights of businesses to advertise with the rights of residents to live in non-commercial neighborhoods and be free of instrusive commercial activity. An advertising blimp like this makes a mockery of that balance ands shows a lack of respect for residents and local laws. I suggest that all of us who think rich businesses should not be above the law should write to our mayors and city councils and urge them to update existing commercial advertising ordinances to include municipal airspace, which cities are allowed to administer for the good of citizens.
ken, does it not become an faa-governed issue when it's up in the air like that, and flying the skies across the u.s. like that? i'm not sure, but i do know that federal laws will override local ordinances almost always, for what it's worth...
Wow, Ken...it's just a blimp.
Just because it is going places over the Metro that are not Minneapolis doesn't mean it is not McLaughlin. (sorry for the multiple negatives).
Minneapolis residents work, play and shop in areas outside the city and since the only thing going for the blimp is its mobility, it makes sense to send it to every high traffic spot in the Metro.
CPM be dammed.
This is really the most fun thing around here since Jesse ran for governor.
The blimp story in the Strib says that the responsible company is Lightships out of Orlando. This Business 2.0 story about blimb marketing says the company charges a half-million bucks for 90 days of blimp time, which includes a 15-person ground and logistics crew. I think that puts McLaughlin out of the running on this one.
As a side note to what Ken wrote, the blimp is actually a bit of a traffic hazard. People trying to get a better look while driving could easily veer off course and hit someone/something, or be hit by others.
There is supposedly an ordinance that was used to chase people off overpasses last November with the basis being that the signs they held distracted those driving in the traffic below. But the number that the highway patrol man gave turned out to be about snow plowing, so I'm not sure if there really is an ordinance or not.
And it seems this isn't the first time they've been considered for political outreach. Here's an excerpt from a blogforamerica thread in 2003. If it's good enough for Dean...
"Here are some testimonials on blimp advertising.
http://www.lightships.com/testimonys.html
http://www.lightships.com/testimonys2.html
Airship Dean - Dean Blimp - whatever you want to call it, this would be AWESOME!!
For the cost of a few commericals we could have a DFA blimp all over the country over the next year. Sporting events, fairs, expos, holiday weekends, rallys!!
Creates instant buzz when it comes to town, will get people talking."
Full thread at http://www.blogforamerica.com/archives/002103.html (sorry the link creator java no gogo for me on this computer.)
(Links fixed. I really gotta get those javascript buttons working for Macs one of these days.)
hmm . . . no one likes the Tax Payers League and tobacco tax theory? Seems much more plausible than McLaughlin, with Strom's inflated ego and all
As the pioneer press article stated that we will find out tomorrow does anyone think it has anything to do with the "connect the dots" october 12 billboards that are around the city?
I think the Tax Payers League and Tobacco Tax theories are viable. Mainly because they have deep pockets and they don't seem bothered by bad typography.
Billboards? What billboards? I haven't noticed any "connect the dots" billboards in my travels so far.
My wife came up with the Oprah theory, as Eric mentions above. She saw the show where Oprah was in tears over this problem. Half a million bucks? No problem if Oprah is deciding to drop some coin. Seems plausable to me. The blimp is here because a predator slipped through the cracks thanks to a Minnesota judge, which is cronicled on her website:
"Duncan settled in Fargo, North Dakota, registering as a sex offender as Megan's Law requires. Then, at a school playground in Minnesota, a man matching Duncan's description molested two young boys. Police suspected Duncan of the crime, and he was arrested and appeared before Judge Thomas Schrader. Despite Duncan's chilling record of sexual violence against children and his history of violating parole, Judge Schrader set bail at just $15,000the judge claims he never knew the full extent of Duncan's sadistic pastand Duncan wrote a personal check and walked out of jail a free man."
Quote from Oprah: "The children of this nation are being stolen, raped, tortured and killed by sexual predators who are walking right into your homes. How many times does it have to happen? How many children must be sacrificed? What price are we willing to pay before we take to the streets and say, 'Enough!'"
Take to the streets? A blimp in the air seems to be more effective.
The boards are around the Twin Cities. The Strib has a teaser on their website. Just thought it was interesting that both were announcing (according to the paper) the same day...
I believe that the blimp that we have all been overcome with, is
aiming its message at Northwest Airlines. Makes sense: "Enough is
Enough", and "Had it up to Here". With the mechanics on strike, and the attendants' troubles, no pensions, etc. Also, the color of
the blimp is white with red lettering. If not, it should be against Northwest Airlines.
I can decide if I'd be more upset if the ultimate result of all this was a politician or a media outlet. But I doubt it's the Strib. (BTW, we covered the Connect The Dots thing here.)
One thing I'm pretty sure of: When we all find out what this intruder is on about, I bet we'll all be disappointed. I haven't read a theory yet that leads to anything worthwhile if it's true.
5:13pm. Blimp is in Saint Paul just over the 94/35E intersection and the capital. Going in circles. Same messages on both sides.
Putting away more child molesters is pretty worthwhile.
I too saw it over DTSTP around 5.
Regarding moonbats.
A moonbat is the person featured in an MPR article today, saying she forgoes the local news papers for more, ahem, "factual" sources such as al Jazeera and something she called "news from Babylon."
Moonbat? I got your moonbat right here.
So, to summarize, a moonbat is an all compassing term used to describe anybody other than the person speaking/writing for whatever reason happens to strike their whimsy at the moment.
Gotta love those meaningless words.
In a way. A moonbat can be anyone who says things such as "I like to get my facts from Al Jazeera" Someone disconnected from the common reality.
Right On! Kev
Not aure what Greg is saying/writing but I hope he starts/begins using/typing more slashes/lines between/separating his words.
Anyone seen the blimp yet today?
Guys - I doubt Oprah has anything to do with it. And I don't think it's tied to that abuse website. I work in Downtown Minneapolis facing North. The blimp has been taunting me for days now. I think it's a sign from God that I need a new job. Anyone else?
I saw it last night and I swear Fred Smoot and Lance Johnstone were up there getting head from a hooker.
In this country today. This type of suspicious event is NOT a go idea!
hahaha lance
I offered the pilot 100 bucks to give me a lap dance but he declined.
Wikipedia does a much better jog at defining moonbat than urbandictionary.com. It appears to be written by adults. Not that I agree with the stereotypes from either web page, but Wikipedia is written more professionally.
So hasn't anyone spotted the BLIMP yet today????
Bad weather today I guess is keeping it grounded.
Yes, wiki has an acceptable definition of moonbat. I had no idea the term was around for so long.
I think we can all agree there is a little moonbat in all of us. (Insert your Vikings joke here.)
I got a response today from an email I sent the campaign last Sunday from andy at petermclaughlin dot com:
I think you talked to someone in our office already.
She was supposed to tell you that we don't comment on media buys.
Andy
I wish they could just say "no, it's not ours."
-Aaron
Confirmed - It is grounded today, or at least this evening. Saw it sitting at the Crystal airport about an hour ago. Could only see one side - no change to the message visible so far.
Whoever/Whatever has put this thing in the sky above us has succeeded in whatever they wanted to accomplish by getting eveyone to talk about it so. I have seen many posts saying this thing is annoying. The best way to get it to go away and prevent any from coming back again is to just plain IGNORE IT. Similar to Simpsons Tree House of Horror IV, Springfield is destroyed by a band of angry, marauding billboard icons. The Lard Lad, Professor Peanut, and the Duff Cowboy escape their billboards and crush everything in sight until the townspeople turn their attention from them and they all fall down and die. I suggest we all do the same. Frankly I dont give a damn what it is, and why it is here, and I can't really even believe I devoted this time to reply about it, but as long as it gets this type of attention, it will not go away.
Dude, don't be a buzzkill. It's fun to guess.
I was hoping the blimp would reveal itself today. Cieling 600 broken, 2200 broken. Visibility 2 miles. Good day for instrument approches but not blimps. Sun forecast for tomorrow though...
The weather is supposed to be better this afternoon.
It would be nice if we could recruit someone living next to the Crystal airport to give us an update as they change the banners.
Or maybe someone sitting in an office at the airport istelf...
secret revealed..... Not so exciting...:(
http://www.startribune.com/stories/464/5667180.html
Oh my! This would have totally sucked had it not been for WCCO running a news story on its competitor without it knowing it! I love it! Take that Don Shelby!
Of course it's C.J. with the scoop. Ha. I wonder how long it took her to figure it out and get in touch with the right person to confirm it. Now we can go back to talking about professional sports players getting blowjobs on a boat. Thanks CJ.
I predict that Fox News is behind the whole thing...
So did I!
Although not in writing, so there is no proof. Just like Scoopid.
So what are the new messages on the blimp?
I say one side, but not at a good enough angle to read it.
It's online now
http://www.fox9.com/contests/description/blimp.asp
Rotates between the two old sides and the two new sides.
Still interesting that the name of the campaign is Red October. Is FOX connected to the Communist party?
COOL
I think FOX is doing it. FUCK THEM
Fuck you!
Damn! I really wanted to know what eugene beheaded had to say today.
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