A 'gang' of five, clad entirely in orange, was recently picked up by the police on Grand Hamad Street, sometimes called 'Bank Street' due to the large number of financial institutions at the location.
The group in orange, comprising men and women, were picked up after a concerned and clearly law-abiding person, felt they were acting suspiciously and on the verge of robbing a bank.
The so-called 'Orangemen' were part of a marketing campaign being conducted by an organisation here and recently reported about in The Peninsula following their antics at the City Center mall. They could be seen at shopping plazas and any place where the public was bound to see them. They were discussed on websites and local radio and of course the print media.
But it was at Grand Hamad Street where the five drew the attention of a Good Samaritan who did what he felt was right and called the police. An official with the organisation behind the marketing ploy told this newspaper, while quite obviously seeing the funny side of things: "A police visit was definitely not on the agenda. It is actually quite funny when you think about it."
The Orangemen were not squeezed by the police but were held for around 30 minutes.
The official said: "The police were friendly and they too found the whole episode amusing. In fact, they liked the campaign. We are carrying out a different sort of campaign and the reaction it has received was not expected."
Undoubtedly, including being hauled to the police station.
However, the official said, the public has been receptive of the campaign. It certainly has aroused curiosity as people have been doing their utmost to figure out who or what is behind the campaign. This incident may have given the campaign added juice.
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