Pitbull Shipped to Alaska After Internet Prank Campaign
Pitbull will be taking his act to Alaska after an internet campaign that initially stared as a prank grew in popularity and publicity.
Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, was the subject of a new marketing deal between Wal-Mart and the rapper, which will host him at one of the hundreds of Wal-Mart stores around the globe. The Wal-Mart store that got the most "Likes" on Facebook would win the opportunity to have a party attended by the reggaeton singer.
A writer with the Boston Phoenix Newspaper got wind of the promotion and thought it would be a good idea if he could get people to send Pitbull to the most remote Wal-Mart on Earth.
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The store in Kodiak, Alaska received the most "likes" of Facebook, garnering more than 70,000 "likes" during the campaign, which is more than 10 times the current population, according to 2010 census figures.
"From Miami to St. Louis we saw hundreds of thousands of fans like their local Wal-Mart Facebook page, but Kodiak was the winner," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sarah Spencer told ABC News on Tuesday.
Pitbull, who is touring Europe, seems to be taking the contest in stride.
"Wherever the fans want to have a party, I will be there," he said in an emailed statement.
In a video posted on YouTube, Pitbull was happy to accommodate his fans insisting that he would go the ends of the earth for them.
"I heard that Kodiak, Alaska, has the most likes due to someone that thinks he was playing a prank … but you've got to understand, I will go anywhere in the world for my fans," he said.
Kodiak Island is about 225 miles southwest of Anchorage and is home to the nation's largest Coast Guard base. The island is also known for the Kodiak brown bear.
