CorpComms Magazine

Two employees at computer giant Dell have been arrested in Texas after an internal marketing stunt to promote the new Dell Streak tablet went horribly wrong.

To promote the Dell Streak tablet's ability to interface with Harley-Davidson motorcycles, an employee dressed as a biker in black leathers with a black skull mask, carrying two metallic objects, told staff on the sales floor to 'go to the lobby'.

Unsuspecting staff feared the worst. A flurry of 911 calls was made to the Round Rock police headquarters in Texas, prompting an order for a SWAT team to storm the building.

It took 11 minutes for the SWAT team to determine that the masked man and his supervisor were part of an in-house marketing plan. They had intended to rally staff in the lobby to unveil the new tablet.

Round Rock police spokesman Eric Poteet said: 'Through a series of misinterpretation and miscommunication this sent a lot of others into a controlled panic.'

Both employees were arrested for misdemeanour charges of 'interfering with public duties and deadly conduct'.

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