Help with mystery mail

December 13, 2007 12:28 PM

Someone at my office received this in the mail today: Picture. We have no idea who it is from or what it's about.

We don't have a color scanner, so let me describe it. Everything is red except the "CANDY CAIN RISING" and "all is calm." Those are both in black. It was received in an envelope postmarked from zip code 29201, so we know it's local. There was no return address and the address was handwritten in what appears to be a woman's handwriting.

Googling returns nothing relevant that I can see. Any ideas what this is?

posted by chiababe to media & arts (27 comments total)

It's amazing that "CANDY CAIN RISING" returns no google results. I have no idea.
posted by null terminated at 12:31 PM on December 13, 2007

Might it be an advertising flyer for a local band or event?
posted by amyms at 12:31 PM on December 13, 2007

That's what I figure it is, but it's got no real information about where or who. Whatever it is is going down tomorrow, but we just got this today. The person that received it has no clue why she would have received it, but it was addressed directly to her.
posted by chiababe at 12:40 PM on December 13, 2007

Searched "all is calm" on the USPTO and nothing comes up under trademarks. Interesting.
posted by MeetMegan at 12:41 PM on December 13, 2007

Well, elfight.com loads a frame from gomadmonkey.com.

So, a promo for something they're doing tomorrow.
posted by notbuddha at 12:41 PM on December 13, 2007

I just did the same thing MeetMegan.

I checked the events section of the Free Times chiababe, but they don't mention any elfights. That is about the only way I know of figuring out what the cool kids are doing in Columbia. Is the person in your office a USC student? Could be some kind of college party.
posted by ND¢ at 12:44 PM on December 13, 2007

Oh and here is your image: http://www.elfight.com/.
posted by ND¢ at 12:46 PM on December 13, 2007

Ah-ha. Mad Monkey is a local film company that has done some work for us before. Maybe I'll call them up.
posted by chiababe at 12:47 PM on December 13, 2007

It looks like a viral, but there's nothing linking the words or dates that I've found so far on that date... There's no movies for that date that I can find (at least big ones) and albums release on tuesdays.
posted by iamabot at 12:47 PM on December 13, 2007

yea, advertising. go advertising.
posted by jdfan at 12:47 PM on December 13, 2007

I just called Mad Monkey, their receptionist was very cagey about it and went to go speak to someone. They said the production manager didn't know anything about it, but that I could leave a message for someone named Laurie. So I did. Maybe she'll call me back.
posted by chiababe at 12:51 PM on December 13, 2007

Attempted astroturfing for the lose.
posted by rhizome at 12:52 PM on December 13, 2007

This is the whois info on that domain name.

I want to put money on some kind of flash based christmas game.

Registrant:
Mad Monkey

808-B Lady Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: ELFIGHT.COM
Created on: 07-Dec-07
Expires on: 07-Dec-08
Last Updated on: 07-Dec-07

Administrative Contact:
Arthur, David [e-mail]
Mad Monkey
808-B Lady Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
United States
[phone]

Technical Contact:
Arthur, David [e-mail]
Mad Monkey
808-B Lady Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
United States
[phone]
posted by remthewanderer at 1:07 PM on December 13, 2007

How awesome is it that his email is "darth?"
posted by sjuhawk31 at 1:30 PM on December 13, 2007 [3 favorites]

I searched on the address from the whois that remthewanderer mentioned and found this:


Mad Monkey – Creative Monkeys in the Vista

In a creative environment like Columbia’s Vista-based film production company Mad Monkey, you never know where the next great idea might come from.

And so a recent anecdote from the office manager about accidentally splashing her dog with yellow paint will be incorporated into an upcoming television spot. “We have incredibly talented people here,” says owner Lorie Gardner.

Seven years ago, Gardner and her husband, Tim, along with David Johnson and Todd Stuart started Mad Monkey, which is located at 808-B Lady St.

Collaboration, not superstition
They were frustrated with boundaries and envisioned a company that would foster over-the-top ideas. They obviously weren’t superstitious: They formed Mad Monkey On Friday, Oct. 13, 2000.

Lorie Gardner says Mad Monkey has succeeded where others failed by creating a collaborative, creative work environment and building trust with clients. “We’re successful because we do what we love and truly believe in our work. People sense that and know they won’t be let down,” she says.

Succeeding vs. the big markets
Mad Monkey has worked with a national autism coalition, the Food Network, the Do-It-Yourself channel, and Zaxby’s restaurants, to name a few of its clients. It competes on the national audience, and is thriving against big-market competition—as evidenced by the line of Addy awards from the American Advertising Federation in Mad Monkey’s conference room. “The best work can come out of Columbia, S.C., not just New York and L.A.,” Gardner says.

Mad Monkey has recruited its employees from across the country and the world—an animation artist is from South Korea. With three Gamecock grads who are now Monkeys as well, the company has also dipped into the University of South Carolina’s talent pool.

‘An up-and-coming city’
“We get resumes from everywhere,” Gardner says. “Columbia is on the radar for people looking to move to the Southeast because it’s an up-and-coming city with affordable housing.”
— By Sharnequa Steed
posted by wfrgms at 2:12 PM on December 13, 2007

Yeah. I've been up to Lady St before for skate demos and Mad Monkey was some kind of design studio- I'm not sure what they're cooking up, but be sure to update us here, because now I'm interested!
posted by Glitter Ninja at 2:15 PM on December 13, 2007

It'll make me feel grinchy if it's just an ad for a ski resort.
posted by annaramma at 2:53 PM on December 13, 2007

as someone working in advertising, I'll say it's intriguing. I could see this ending up as a boston adult-swim fiasco though.
posted by krautland at 3:03 PM on December 13, 2007

Maybe you are supposed to stare at it really hard and then look at a white sheet of paper?
posted by Camofrog at 6:24 PM on December 13, 2007

The trademark is "all is calm" so can anyone do a lookup on that? I've no idea how to look up trademarks, but someone here must know.
posted by magnoliasouth at 7:51 PM on December 13, 2007

Yeah annaramma, I thought that this seemed a bit like that purification.org fiasco, too. But at least, in this case, the wait is only a day versus six weeks.

the purification(/putrification) was such an irritating marketing ploy.
posted by numinous at 7:51 PM on December 13, 2007

Also there is a game (at least I think it is a game) here:
http://files.filefront.com/ELfightwmv/;7294390;/fileinfo.html

The link is not a direct download, just in case. It's just a file info page. I guess the name could be a coincidence.
posted by magnoliasouth at 7:56 PM on December 13, 2007

did any candy cain's rise today?
posted by kidsleepy at 8:57 AM on December 14, 2007

There's a video up on elfight.com today. I don't have speakers at work, so I haven't watched it yet.
posted by chiababe at 9:05 AM on December 14, 2007

ha! be sure to click on the 'fotie of eggnog at the end!
posted by kidsleepy at 9:29 AM on December 14, 2007

I got a return phone call from Lorie Gardner this morning. She left a voice mail to say congratulations for being an awesome detective and it's just a little holiday fun and silliness. We'll get a new mailing about it soon with real information. She also said she never expected anyone to search the internet for it. What?

Thanks AskMefi, that was fun.
posted by chiababe at 10:03 AM on December 14, 2007

it's just a little holiday fun and silliness

Hooray!
posted by annaramma at 3:36 PM on December 14, 2007