AT&T PR Fail

Want to make a bunch of Austinites angry? Be like AT&T and exploit our street art

You don't mess with Texas, and you don't mess with Austin street art. Austinites are taking to social media to voice their frustration after AT&T took beloved street art and murals and Photoshopped them to advertise their new AT&T U-verse high-speed internet service.

Taking the iconic "I love you so much" at Jo's Coffee on South Congress and the "Focus on one point and breathe" that once graced the Union Pacific railroad bridge spanning Lady Bird Lake, the telecommunications giant replaced the art with with ads reading "gigapower."

Oh, AT&T, you didn't.

Naturally, folks in Austin are unimpressed. After the service (and subsequent ad campaign) launched yesterday, folks began commenting furiously on the AT&T U-verse Facebook page about the campaign penning such gems as:

"Marketing fail — you clearly don't understand your target market. Eff You AT&T."

"I will not, now or ever be using AT&T's services after this outrageous and obscenely offensive PR stunt."

"The funny thing is that AT&T doesn't realize how big of a douchebag ad this is... they probably thought it would help them in Austin."

"This pisses me off."

Some folks were worried that AT&T went so far as to actually replace the art but rest assured — it's just an arguably shoddy Photoshop job.

The new ads arrived on the same day as a disturbing Washington Post article was published criticizing AT&T for offering a cheaper version of U-verse to Austin residents in exchange for access to private information about the users. Writes Brian Fung, "AT&T appears to value Austinites' privacy at just under $350 a year."

Fung continues, "If this model spreads, however, Americans are going to have to start putting a real dollar figure on their freedom from online snooping."

And don't expect this to be the last of the "look how hip we are" tactics from AT&T. With Google's high-speed alternative Fiber expected to hit the Austin market in a few months, we're guaranteed to see a few more of these publicity stunts from both parties.

This advertisement ran on Facebook on December 12.

Screenshot by Katie Friel

This advertisement ran on Facebook on December 12.

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Car-munity

Austin speeds into top spot on list of world's biggest car communities

Cars and Coffee Austin/Facebook

Events like Cars and Coffee at Circuit of the Americas draw in Austinites and visitors alike.

Austin's car-centric culture doesn't just extend to its highways: The city was recently dubbed the No. 1 destination with the biggest car-loving community in the world, according to a new study by Auto Trader.

The study ranked 411 cities from across the globe based on the number of car meets and auto shows in each city, the number of past Cars and Coffee events, and the share of "car meet" social media posts tagged in each city.

Austin earned a 98.1 percent "Car-munity" score to claim the No. 1 spot, and was the only U.S. city to make it in the top 20.

With the increasing popularity of Formula 1, MotoGP, NASCAR, and other racing events in Austin, it was only a matter of time before the city started to gain recognition for its auto enthusiast community. But it's Austin's local car clubs, events, and meets that push it to the No. 1 city.

A few notable events Auto Trader mentioned include the long-running Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up – a massive outdoor car show hosted at the Travis County Expo Center featuring vintage hot rods and custom cars – as well casual meet ups like Cars & Coffee at Circuit of the Americas.

"The presence of these diverse events highlights Austin's appreciation for both new and classic vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Ferraris, and even vintage military vehicles," the study said. "But, undeniably so, it's the classic Americana vehicles that most often feature in the social media posts from Austin car events."

Vintage racecar sports car at Circuit of the Americas Austin car enthusiasts love a vintage sports car. Photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas Facebook

Local racing events are another a great opportunity to meet fellow car enthusiasts. Autocross club Texas Spokes hosts monthly events in Austin and around Central Texas, while those who want to get some track time can visit Harris Hill Raceway, a 1.82-mile, 11-turn asphalt road course in San Marcos.

CultureMap even covered two weddings this year that prominently featured collector cars: One couple made a mini car show out of their wedding, and one bride wanted to represent her late father.

Austinites who want to learn more about the city's rich car culture can check out the Bob Bullock Museum's Carros y Cultura exhibit, which showcases unique lowrider cars and bikes while exploring how Texas lowrider culture is tied with the Mexican American community. The museum described lowriders as "a canvas for celebrating identity through artistic expression."

The top 10 cities with the biggest car-loving communities worldwide are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Toronto, Canada
No. 3 – Cape Town, South Africa
No. 4 – Turin, Italy
No. 5 – Munich, Germany
No. 6 – London, United Kingrom
No. 7 – Warsaw, Poland
No. 8 – Frankfurt, Germany and Sydney, Australia (tied)
No. 10 – Christchurch, New Zealand

austin circuit of the americas cars events racing

AT&T PR Fail

Want to make a bunch of Austinites angry? Be like AT&T and exploit our street art

This advertisement ran on Facebook on December 12.

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