Guerrilla Stunt for Video Game Alarms London: The marketing team behind the U.K. launch of Capcom video game Resident Evil 5 recently caused a stir with a scavenger hunt promotion that scared Londoners into calling the police. After scattering hundreds of realistic-looking body parts and decapitated heads around the city, organizers told participants to gather as many as they could find for a chance to win a trip to Africa. Unfortunately—or fortunately, considering the many news outlets that picked up the story—producers didn't count on how the authenticity would affect those not in the know. [BrandFreak]
The New Yorker Downsizes Conference: Planners of the second New Yorker Innovation Conference have decided to take a step back from this year's event. The two-day $1,200-a-head conference, which was to be held at the InterActiveCorp. building, is out the window, replaced by a much cheaper one-day summit. The more modest price of $350 will give guests a perspective on President Obama's first 100 days in office, with speeches by Malcolm Gladwell and Howard Dean. [WWD]
Police Blame TV Series for Model Melee: Earlier this week, open-call auditions for the next season of CW series America's Next Top Model didn't go as smoothly as hoped, when several would-be contestants mistook a smoking car for a bomb. Around 10,000 women outside Manhattan's Park Central Hotel fled, injuring six people in the process. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, unhappy with the incident, reminded the series and individuals in charge of similar events to notify police and the city when expecting such a big turnout. [NYP]
Samberg Joins MTV Movie Awards: The 2009 MTV Movie Awards, set to tape May 31 from Universal City's Gibson Amphitheatre, just found a host. The network announced Monday that Saturday Night Live cast member and viral video celebrity Andy Samberg will serve as M.C. for the first time. Previous hosts of the Movie Awards include Mike Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, and Samuel L. Jackson. [AP]
