In yesterday’s paper, there was an article about an invasion of yellow gnomes. The police doesn’t know who’s behind the innocent joke but suspects it’s in some way or another related to they-do-exist.com. On this website, a few countries are listed that apparently have been invaded already. A page is dedicated per country where the action-radius is marked on a map and a few pictures illustrate the local situation.
Check out the situation in Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands & Luxembourg. Expect the situation to expand. The fact the Belgian situation on the map looks like Mickey Mouse is a pure coincidence.
This reminds me of an organization I used to be a member of, back when I was 16. The TBF. Instead of bringing the gnomes to the city, like this project does, we took them out of the gardens of people and set them free in the woods or the city park. Too bad we never took pictures. Before you go around saying we were stealing the gnomes: no, we weren’t. We borrowed them. Before we went out to kidnap them, we made labels, we labeled the gnomes with a number and left a card with that number for the owners, describing the place in the nearby woods or park where the gnomes would be released.
The TBF was (is?) a dutch organisation who fought the every day routine by fighting for the rights of the garden gnome (the dullest thing on earth). The TBF was (is?) a open action force and could be joined by everyone who respected the rights of the garden gnome. You could just start your own cell, make a visiting card with your translation of the Gardengnome Liberation Front, free a gnome, leave a visiting card and then set the gnome free in the forest.
I thought the idea was totally gone, but apparently, the gnomes still exist.
Visit they-do-exist.com
Stop Oppressive Gardening! Free The Gnomes !
Robin Wauters
April 28, 2006 at 3:14 pm
This is a viral marketing stunt, but I’m dying to know for which company or brand it is. The domain name they-do-exist.com was registered by the COO of InterAct, a Luxemburg-based interactive marketing agency, which leads me to believe they set it up for one of their customers.
The gnomes seem to be holding a cell phone, possibly a clue?
Jesse
April 29, 2006 at 12:09 pm
I have already a few on my room :) It was pretty cool, all of a sudden in the middle of the night (4.00) they were in the middle of the “ossenmarkt” in Antwerp wednesdaynight.
20 or so … pretty funny.
bartholomeus
April 29, 2006 at 7:31 pm
I missed it!
I’m living in Antwerp and I didn’t see any… I guess they don’t exist.
I believe that this already has been done a few years ago in Ghent (Belgium). That time it was a work of art.
teamregan.org » Blog Archive » The Gnomes are Home
April 30, 2006 at 4:13 am
[...] He told me that he was of Norweigen decent, and that is the birthplace of the garden gnomes. [...]
Tom De Bruyne
April 30, 2006 at 9:59 am
According to the Belgian newspaper “De Morgen”, it’s a campaign by telecom operator Tele2.
Corneel
April 30, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Jep, done in Gent 5 or 6 years ago by the citycouncil..
tom: maybe it’s name is bill…
Petra Sell
June 9, 2006 at 2:43 pm
now, there is a redirect to http://www.parlino.com/, indeed a telecom operator. but by now, there is no links to gnoms whatsoever anymore. what a shame.
Brian
September 26, 2006 at 1:21 am
Of Course they do exist They have been spotted in space and Leonardo Davinci also drew a famous picture of them. check them all out here http://www.cafepress.com/gethsemenerose/1406632
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