Sweetwater Tavern in Centreville, VA will never again underestimate the power of direct response advertising.
To promote the restaurant, The Dan Rosenthal Co., a Bethesda, MD advertising agency, created a 12-foot-by-25-foot billboard that read “REDEEM THIS BILLBOARD FOR A FREE DINNER.”
On Monday, April 13, 15 potential customers did just that, unmooring the sign and dragging it to the restaurant’s parking lot.
Although the restaurant was closed at the time of the redemption-12:15 a.m.-an astounded Craig Yoon, Sweetwater Tavern’s general manager, handed out over $250 in gift certificates.
The sign company, Eller Media, has agreed to re-install the sign-the same sign-at no cost. Although the offer presumably still stands, a spokesperson from Dan Rosenthal recommended that no one else attempt the same stunt, “For safety reasons.”
The spokesperson did not comment on the state of inebriation of the redeemers.-RHL
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