We had so much fun at NamesCon that some of the content written during the event received accolades from outside the domain industry.
One such example of a parody article turning viral, was the (supposed) theft of a priceless Picasso painting.
Yancy Naughton, founder of HasTraffic, noted about the article that “There is no such thing as ‘Bad Press‘”.
What followed, however, was hilarious.
Naughton received a letter from an art recovery agency, offering to locate and return the ‘stolen’ Picasso.
The Art Loss Register, a reputable service founded in the UK, contacted Naughton as follows:
“I am writing on behalf of The Art Loss Register as we have noted from recent press-reports that you have suffered the loss of the above property. As of yet this piece has not been recorded with ourselves and we would like to take the opportunity of entering it on to our extensive database of lost and stolen art and antiques.
By way of background, The Art Loss Register was formed in January 1991 with the backing of the art trade (Sotheby’s and Christie’s both being shareholders) and the insurance industry with the aims of deterring art theft and reducing the trade in stolen art. The company has since been responsible for the recovery of over $200m of stolen art and antiques alongside the detection of various instances of fraud.“
Of course, the ‘stolen’ Picasso was simply part of the HasTraffic exhibit, printed in such a manner that it resembled a real painting, complete with frame and shadow.
The two “thieves” were HasTraffic associates, including Michael Navarini of Namerific, who gladly posed for our story. 😀
Hopefully you had as much fun reading the story as did creating it. Below is another photo from the “act”. 😀
Michael Navarini (left) during NamesCon.
Now if only they could get back stolen domains