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Korean electronics giant LG has had to cut its G2 smartphone publicity event short after many members of the public were injured. The company hosted a giveaway of coupons that could be exchanged for free LG G2 smartphones and was expected to be held at other arenas across Korea. However, LG didn’t anticipate just how much of a reaction the free phone campaign would create as a man, intent on getting his own free phone, discharged a firearm into the crowd.

The injuries occurred at an arena hosting the LG Android smartphone giveaway competition named “G IN THE CLOUD”. Free phone tokens were attached to helium balloons and released. Participants then competed to see who could grab a balloon and nab themselves a free phone.

Well it might be fair to assume overcrowding to be a valid reason for injuries, but that wasn’t the case at this event. What sent the arena into a state of confusion was a member of the public who brought an air gun in attempt to secure themselves a coupon straight off the bat. While there were some rather interesting attempts from other members at capturing the balloons, such as bringing a fishing net or a long stick, no one else had thought to go this far. According to Korean media, 20 people were injured by the gun, some of whom were rushed to hospital. In an official statement, LG said that the company regrets the way events developed and promised to pay for medical expenses incurred from the injuries.

Obviously hearing the shot of the gun sent the participants into screams of hysteria. The person who carried the air gun into the arena was heavily criticized, however the arena’s security measures were also brought into question. LG originally hoped that the event would serve as an indirect marketing tactic whereby members of the public who captured a free phone coupon would then express their elation by posting on Twitter or Facebook.

While such publicity events can serve as good opportunities to promote a company’s merchandise and for the public to grab a bargain, if not organized in the right way it can have the reverse effect of creating unwanted criticism or even worse, damaging a company’s reputation. For anyone interested in getting a feel for just what the event was like, check out the video footage below.

Source: Engadget Japan