Laying in bed my wife knew I was uneasy about what we were about to do. I’d never hit a billboard before and this time it wasn’t going to be me up there. I‘d be directing from below. Admittedly I’ve found myself up high on more than a few occasions and I’m not 100% comfortable with it. A few weeks earlier we’d dropped a huge MAGA / DEPLORABLE banner from a tall building during Shepard Fairey’s “DAMAGED” show and that was exciting enough.
I’d roll played everything that could possibly go wrong or right and I insisted my guys do the same. That way no matter what happened up there it wouldn’t be unexpected. It seemed as though I was in another dimension watching the hit go down. It seemed too perfect, too fast, it played out exactly the way I’d seen it in my head. We were sandwiched by two police cars. The first drove past just as we pulled into this dark spot to unload. The second just after we finished and made our way to 711 for a drink. They sat out there forever looking up at that billboard. I was picturing them laughing their asses off. They had every opportunity in the world to snatch us. I mean there we were four guys dressed in black walking across the street, now trapped in a convenience store. I guess we lucked out.
This was a case study in how to ride a news story. I’d known about the two women coming out against Al Franken two to three days before they did so I timed this hit for when that happened. As much as I wanted to do this hit I started to think Franken was old news leaving this story without the kind of interest that would give it coverage in the press but when I’d heard about these two new accusations, I knew it was game on all over again for Al. On top of that story, this billboard was advertising an up coming movie being put out by Fox Studios which meant it would benefit Fox’s news services to run with the story. When they contacted me for permission to run with an interview nationwide. I would have been crazy to say no. The story was now going viral not only nation wide but world wide. And that my friends is how you time a creative hit to get the most exposure.
Susan Hirasuna from a local Fox News affiliate came by my studio to interview me and girl she was looking to go for the jugular. She started off nice enough but … sure as the sun comes up in the East her inner Leftist came out and tried pouncing on me. Sadly for her she didn’t know who she was messing with. I’ve been around the block a few times.