UPDATE | The giant, digital slot machine built by Downtown-based creative agency Intertrend to celebrate the Lunar New Year was vandalized twice in the first two days of its activation.
The red-knobbed lever that activated the slot machine was damaged and fixed Tuesday, the day the installation went live. Earlier today, Feb. 6, Intertrend CEO Julia Huang posted to Facebook that the installation had been damaged, again.
“I’m a bit sad to announce this,” Huang stated. “A whole black box containing the mechanicals for our Year of the Pig window installation was stolen off the wall earlier this morning. It was vaulted to the wall… so someone must have made quite an effort. We are looking at our security camera to see when and who took it. Hoping to get it up and running again. Meanwhile, we still want to encourage street level interaction and believe strongly that we deserve nice things.”
Assuredly not the “street level interaction” Huang had hoped for, in response to Facebook commenters she said the design is being modified and will be up and running again soon.
“Really clear” footage from Intertrend’s security cameras showed multiple people attempting to break the handle, including their faces and what clothes they were wearing, Huang told the Post in email.
“We are changing it to a buzz button instead of a lever handle,” Huang added. “With this change we are hoping to get the slot machine up and running as early as this weekend.”
PREVIOUSLY: Giant, interactive slot machine in Downtown celebrates the Year of the Pig
2/5/19 at 1:04 p.m. | For the past three years, Downtown-based Intertrend Communications has drawn pedestrians on Broadway to the bright lights and artistry of its annual Lunar New Year installation.
Always on the bottom floor of the creative agency’s offices in the historic Psychic Temple building, CEO Julia Huang said in a statement that this year’s giant, digital slot machine represents the wealth, luck and prosperity attached to the Year of the Pig, the 12th and last animal of the Chinese zodiac.
Officially activated today, Feb. 5, to mark the Chinese New Year, viewers can pull the red-knobbed lever for a chance to win a scoop of ice cream from neighboring business, Long Beach Creamery.
“We always want to encourage street-level interaction with our annual installation,” Huang stated.
If three symbols of the same kind line up—a pig, a golden pineapple or Intertrend’s logo—a voucher for the lucky winner will be dispensed from a small opening beneath the handle. Long Beach Creamery also created a special “auspicious” flavor exclusively for the Year of the Pig, Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
The installation is located at Intertrend Communications, 228 E. Broadway, and will be up until March 5. Winners will receive a ticket from the slot machine that can be used at Long Beach Creamery next door, 222 E. Broadway; open from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday – Thursday and noon to 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays.