Mobile Desktop Prank at Starbucks by Improv Everywhere

by Scott Beale on February 24, 2008 · 22 comments

“Mobile Desktop” is the latest mission from Improv Everywhere where 3 different agents entered a Starbucks in New York and each setup an old desktop computer with giant monitor, using them the same way that they would with a laptop. Here’s the full mission report, including video and photos recorded on hidden cameras.

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filed under Pranks

{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Paul Stamatiou February 25, 2008 at 12:11 am

Hahah that is great! Surprised they were able to find enough outlets. The Starbucks’ near me have horrible plug placement.

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2 Mike Doeff February 25, 2008 at 12:33 am

I love the part where she puts that huge CRT + keyboard on her lap.

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3 jennconspiracy February 25, 2008 at 7:13 am

That is truly inspired — I love the guy who says they are “schlepping” the “server” and wonders if they are saving electricity. The music is brilliant!

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4 Simon Beals February 25, 2008 at 7:22 am

Hysterical. Especially the guy speculating on why they’re doing it.

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5 Enric February 25, 2008 at 9:48 am

So retro. Cathode Ray monitors, Windows 95 (or was that 98).

;)

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6 Doctor Popular February 25, 2008 at 12:33 pm

That was great, loved the way the music went with the vid.

For some reason, the google ads kept covering up the entire video whenever I tried watching this video on another computer, but it’s working fine now.

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7 jojo February 25, 2008 at 2:11 pm

not quite the reaction they were looking for…? “Nothing we can do as long as there customers.” However, it was a very funny bit.

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8 Justin (Pusha) February 25, 2008 at 6:53 pm

Every situation in New York has that one guy complaining.

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9 WALT! February 25, 2008 at 9:28 pm

What’s crazy is I remember just five years ago when my local caffeine dive started offering free wifi, this guy would cart in his cpu, and monitor just like that every week.

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10 Jack February 26, 2008 at 1:07 am

HAHA, absolutely hilarious, damn the establishment! Almost up to par with this other prank

http://www.ibeatyou.com/competition/bc80f6/best-prank-call/entry/0f840b/best-prank-call

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11 pod p. February 26, 2008 at 5:50 am

akkk, my post just vanished … well i don’t have tme to repeat the full analysis, but here’s a shorter version:

this is funny…

but then it hit that this is NOT a very tactical prank, it’s more some pretty “positive” advertising for Starfucks and the stupidity of the corporate wasteland… a kind of Dilbert cartoon that has all the qualities of a fake rebellion.

this is a far tangent, but this mobile desktop gag reminds me of a pretty serious video a friend of mine from the tides foundation sent me awhile back, about consumer waste and a culture with its head up its ass and the corporations that like it that way:
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

IE has been doing some pretty funny stuff, but should they have any desire to enter a more radical phase, their approach might need some analysis …and upgrading.

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