近期，旧金山州政府的Dennis Herrera宣布曾受聘于Zynga进行Mafia Wars游戏新作宣传的营销公司Davis Elen同意为其违法营销策略支付4万5000美元的罚款。

今年8月，旧金山州政府律师事务所就Zynga公司将伪造的2万5000美元的钞票贴在城市人行道上的行为（这是Zynga公司游戏新作Mafia Wars: Las Vegas的宣传策略之一）提出诉讼。对此，Zynga公司称其聘用的营销公司Davis Elen Advertising对此“违法”破坏行为负有全部责任。

Zynga

Dennis Herrera表示，“或许这些破坏旧金山城市公共财产的所谓“游击营销人员”觉得自己很聪明，但实际上他们只是一群法律意识低下的破坏者。游击蓄意毁坏行为是违法的，即便被作为公司广告宣传，也是违法的商业手段。”

其实，这类事件并不罕见。最近，微软公司也刚刚承认在瓦伦西亚大街进行了某种违法广告活动。

在Herrera的新闻发布会上，聘请Davis Elen公司进行违法宣传营销的Zynga被赋予了英雄式的赞誉。Herrera表示很高兴Zynga公司积极配合州政府发现事件的罪魁祸首，也为Davis Elen Advertising能主动承担责任表示认同。当然也有部分人认为Davis Elen是成了Zynga公司的替罪羊。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

The company hired by San Francisco-based social game developer Zynga to promote one of its games has agreed to pay the city $45,000 in fines for illegal marketing tactics, City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced today.

Back in August, the city attorney’s office went to the mattresses against Zynga after public-works officials discovered fake $25,000 bills — advertising the new Zynga release Mafia Wars: Las Vegas — glued to sidewalks. The gaming company was let off the hook after the firm it had hired to oversee marketing of the game, Davis Elen Advertising, took full responsibility for what the city attorney’s office had deemed “illegal and actionable” acts of vandalism.

“The so-called ‘guerilla marketers’ who deface public property in San Francisco may think they’re being clever, but they’re nothing more than lawless vandals-for-hire,” said Herrera. “Graffiti vandalism is illegal, and when it’s done as corporate advertising, it’s also actionable as an unlawful business practice.”

This sort of thing isn’t all that unusual. Microsoft just admitted to stenciling allegedly illegal advertisements along Valencia Street.

Still, in the press release issued by Herrera, Zynga almost comes across as heroic for hiring a company that proceeded to market its products unlawfully. “I’m very grateful to Zynga for its good corporate citizenship in working with us to identify the culprits, and I’m glad that Davis Elen Advertising accepted responsibility for its wrongdoing,” Herrera said in the statement.

In a mafioso’s terms, you might say that Davis Elen was the fall guy. （Source：sfweekly）