The White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Church of Scientology all ask for mobile billboards to be removed.
Entering its 20th season, South Park is just as good at parodying pop culture as ever.
That’s why to promote this landmark premiere, Comedy Central took its marketing almost one step too far.
The network ran mobile billboards around some key locations in the U.S., featuring South Park characters in relevant scenes. Several of those locations were less than thrilled to see the trucks in their neighborhoods, namely The White House and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles, all of whom asked for the trucks to be removed.
“We knew it was risky,” Walter Levitt, chief marketing officer for Comedy Central told The Hollywood Reporter. “We knew some locations might not be pleased to have us out there, but we thought this was a perfect way to celebrate everything the series has covered in its 19 seasons.”
Each of the billboards harked back to an episode that directly involved each of these locations.
In the case of the White House, the scene featured President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, drawn South Park-style.
The truck in front of the Church of Scientology (above) included a scene from one of the show’s most infamous episodes, 2005’s “Trapped in the Closet,” which mocked both the church and one of its most famous members, Tom Cruise.
All of the billboards included the tagline: “We’ve been there.”
Here’s a full list of locations:
Colorado: South Park and Casa Bonita
Salt Lake City: Mormon Church Headquarters
Washington, D.C.: The White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol
Silicon Valley: Facebook Headquarters
New York: Trump Tower and Hillary Clinton’s N.Y. headquarters
Los Angeles: Church of Scientology, Whole Foods, Hooters, PF Changs, KFC
Buffalo: Canadian Border