September 4, 2003
B.U.G. - Big Urban Game
The people of Minneapolis-Saint Paul are being overrun by huge, inflatable game pieces! Voluntarily, though. The Big Urban Game, aka B.U.G., was created by the University of Minnesota's Design Institute, "To promote visual awareness of the Twin Cities' urban environment, frame new perspectives, provoke fresh perceptions and encourage wide input on how the Twin Cities' public realm design could be improved — from streets to transit to parks and other urban amenities." People vote for and move different pieces along different routes in the city, with the piece arriving at the final destination in the shortest time winning. B.U.G. pieces move between 6-8PM through Saturday, and then 12-2PM on Sunday, but online voting is all the time.
That is pretty awesome. Gothamist imagines huge inflatable pieces on the Staten Island Ferry...or moving down Broadway amidst cabs, commuters, vans, trucks... Please, Mayor Bloomberg?
Play the game here. More about the game here. [Via Mase]
And here is a picture of the yellow piece having flation problems...poor yellow piece.
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I respect that to non-Minneapolis/St.Paul natives this may seem like a cool idea, however I have to say I do not enjoy seeing my hometown fraught with- nay overrun by "cute" marketing gags. This is not the first; there were the painted cows, the painted Charlie Browns, the painted Snoopys... All cringeworthy in their trite notions of "artfulness." The MSP metropolitan area is quiet and small, there is not room for pervasive, garish displays of drollery such as this. I would feel differently about the game being played in New York City, which is large enough to absorb the visual impact, and which could stand to lighten up. If Minneapolis gets any lighter or phonier it is going to float off the map like a giant, inflatable Macy's parade balloon... Only sponsored by Target instead.
How are these marketing gags? I'd rather see a cool painted cow than not see a cool painted cow.
a pretty graphic way to show the common man that he or she is less than a pawn on the chess board . . .
i think it's cool and wish l.a. had something like that too, but i fear it would be in the form of giant pamela anderson inflatables along the 101 or up near the hollywood sign. uhhhhh.
Sam:
I think you are exaggerating the effect this is having in the Twin Cities. There are only 3 teams and the entire event is lasting less than a week. In fact, yesterday's 'leg' only lasted just over an hour ... for the slowest team. Don't think anything is being overrun or any huge visual impact is being made.
Being a born-and-raised Minneapolitan (Kenwood/CIDNA), I like the B.U.G. -- both as an idea and in execution. It is tremendously silly. Which is exactly what I love. Plus, what else are people supposed to talk about post-State Fair? (grin)
However, I have to agree the painted Peanuts characters, cows, and what not was a bit much. Those things WERE a bit trite and cringeworthy.
- Mase
those painted cows were stupid.
i dig these game pieces though.
Anything...and I mean anything to liven up the twin cities is a good idea. Explicitly, they suck.
Ahem...the twin cities DO NOT suck. They are, in fact, a pretty damn great place to live and work. Explicitly, you suck.
And I agree about the Snoopy/Mall of America/etc.. things.
having grown up there, I actually like Minneapolis, but it can be a bit provincial.
Bob; I admit assuming they were marketing gags before I did any checking, but I found that the game is indeed sponsored by Target, not to mention it is an explicit ad for the University of Minnesota Design Institute. I particularly don't like advertising which invades an otherwise pristine natural environment.
Mase; I guess I don't see the game as "silly," but I don't mean to criticize your perspective. Silly to me implies "benign," and to me the implications of this event as advertising are anything but benign. The influence of the Target / Dayton Hudson corporation is extremely influential, as you know, in the MSP area and surrounding communities. I would just as soon not be reminded of the big, ostensibly "silly" corporate smile hovering over my shoulder every time I return home to see my family.
Hugh; You obviously have not been to First Avenue, the club in downtown Minneapolis. In my experience, there is no finer venue for popular music in the United States. Also check out Sex World a couple blocks over from First Ave for some good, clean, upscale dildo-shopping like noplace else.
I was a participant on the Red team. I am not affiliated with the U of M, Target or any of the other interested parties. It was a fantastic, fun way to look at this city, to play along with friends and to get people to look around. We went through several neighborhoods where all types of cultures and ethnic groups cheered us along, asked questions, played the dice. My team was made up of Minnesotans as well as folks from other countries who, like me, have made Minneapolis their home. The people at the U of M design department did a great job putting this together, and never EVER making it a U of M or Target deal. Maybe we should all be a bit less sarcastic and dubious, and plain remember how to have fun.
I've been bicycling around the world now for about 13years and more than 30000miles, which brought me into Minneapolis for my first time on Friday evening, and to an encounter with an enormous, inflatable, red, novelty, game piece, being carried around the otherwise fairly staid city centre, and followed by a police car. It seemed to me that folks were having fun, and the onlookers were generally amused too. There were no Target logos on the large red gamepiece. In fact there has been more publicity for Target on this bulletin board than on that evening of merriment and mayhem.
But, like it or not, one of my most lasting impressions of Minneapolis, will be that oversized, blow-up, red pawn.
I happen to think that it was an excellent thing.
Whatever gets people out on the streets, socialising, laughing, exercising, chatting, making friends, learning about their communities and the who make it up, is extremely alright in my book.
So my first impressions of Minneapolis are very positive. I have never seen anything like it in any of my 38countries pedalled through.
Good on you, Minneapolitans!
R
(As for who sucks and who doesn't, that kind of bickering can only lower my esteem for those getting involved. But I will try not to let it make me generalise about the denizens of MN.)
Hey Richard, the Red team remembers you! Your reaction is exactly what we all participated in this for: taking a different look at our city, getting people to react and laugh along.
one note: The designers certainly seemed to look for a community concept, and didn't seem burdened by corporate mandates.
Have a fantastic rest of your world tour.
VIDRIOSEGURO SRL
Juan B Justo-3106 Cap.Fed-Tel 4857-3956
09 / 08 / 03
Dear sirs:
We are looking to buy cold air balloons, blowers, blimps or any other type of surplus advertising inflatables new or used for re-selling them here in Argentina.
On the other hand, we need for one of our own stores a new black, white and red balloon with our own logos on it.
Please answer to my e-mail address:
danny@glass-tint.com.ar
Thank you,
Danny.
Hey folks, This was designed to be enjoyed (at least I hope) so take it what it is for.... jsut a little fun. And for the Conspiracy Theorists, this is not a plant....
I'm interested in other street-based games that rely on maps, directions or puizzles to invite particpants to explore. Something like this was done in NYC recently.