What was meant to be a buzz-building campaign for a Cartoon Network movie premiere turned into a city lock-down yesterday over fear of a terrorist threat.

The Turner network executed a 10-city outdoor marketing campaign for its film "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres," which involved placing small circuit boxes depicting LED images of a Mooninite -- an alien delinquent from the show's cast of monsters -- giving drivers the middle finger.

Although apparently the boxes had been in place for two to three weeks in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Boston, it wasn't until Boston citizens reported them to police yesterday as suspicious that the promo turned sour.

The incident brought out bomb squads, closed two bridges and the Charles River to auto and boat traffic, and tied up roadways for hours. Officials say the Pentagon was alerted, and the U.S. Northern Command was monitoring the situation from its headquarters in Colorado Springs.

TACODA's Dave Morgan called the stunt plain dumb in his Online Spin column today. "If the objective of the campaign was to get the attention of the citizens of Boston -- and the entire country -- mission accomplished! If part of the objective was to enhance a client's brand -- massive failure! A great family-oriented brand has been damaged in an incalculable way, and significant monetary damage could follow via compensatory damages, fines and legal fees."

What's more, he said, it can be damaging to the industry, ever monitored by Washington legislators.