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Jon Collins

Vikings pitch bricks, Twitter throws them back

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For the second time in a week, an online campaign by a large, local organization has been subverted by people on the Internet.

The Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority launched an online campaign Thursday to sell bricks inscribed with personal messages. The personalized bricks will be placed in the new Vikings stadium's west plaza.

The campaign website offers examples of messages that can be put on bricks: "Line 1: SUPER BOWL Line 2: HERE WE COME!! Line 3: BRAXTON FAMILY"

The site warns that "discriminatory, political, offensive, or inappropriate messages as determined by the Minnesota Vikings and MSFA will be declined."

But that hasn't stopped people on social media from using the online brick design tool to create and pass around images satirizing the team's play, finances and politics.

Among some of the social media contributions:

"Paid $1 billion and all we got was this stupid brick."

"So many Super Bowls, so many losses."

"At least we're not as bad as the Timberwolves."

https://twitter.com/Salencita/status/581154535793664000

The prices range from $160 for a 4 x 8 paver with three lines of text to $360 for a 8 x 8 paver inscribed with the team's logo and four lines of text. Fans can also buy replicas and display cases. The website for the campaign says revenue from sale of the bricks will be used to "enhance" the public plaza.

Social media users have adopted the hashtags #VikingsBricks or #VikingsBrick, the latter of which appears to have originated with MPR News reporter Tim Nelson, who tweeted out news of the campaign on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier in the week, Mall of America saw its "#itsmymall" Twitter campaign backfire when members of the group Black Lives Matter Minneapolis used the hashtag to recount their encounters with police at the mall.

The Vikings, at least, appeared to take all the brickbats in stride.

"Keep 'em coming," the team tweeted Thursday afternoon, using the pavers as a background. "We're getting a good laugh."