The ‘Plata O Plomo’ Billboard Isn’t An Advertisment For ‘The Bridge’ – So What Is It?

UPDATE:

A new movie image has been released today, leaving many to speculate the stunt is a promotion for the movie "Plata O Plomo" which is based in El Paso.

A description of the movie from the website says:

After Her Brother Is Kidnapped By The Most Powerful And Deadliest Drug Cartel In Mexico "Los Zetas". Rubi, A 15 Year Old, Resorts To Desperate Measures In Order To Find Him. [SIC]

A billboard on I-10 West near Joe Battle and George Dieter in far east El Paso became the best known billboard in town this morning after a mannequin dressed as a man was discovered hanging from it with a sign saying 'Plata O Plomo' above it. There were a ton of theories about what the billboard on the internet this morning, but it turns out that the most discussed theory - that it was a viral marketing advertisement - is wrong.

So, what the heck is going on?

We first heard about the billboard when a listener called the Morning Show to report the scary billboard. I called our news partners at KVIA, and they confirmed that there were a flood of calls into their newsroom about the billboard. Pictures started coming in right after, and they were pretty scary. The apparently handpainted 'Plata O Plomo' - silver or lead - is a phrase we heard often during the cartel drug wars a few years ago. It roughly translates to 'pay up or die'. The addition of a mannequin dressed in a business suit dangling from a noose completed a really frightening display.

Now, hours after the initial shock has worn off, we have some more details. El Paso police say they are investigating the incident as a case of vandalism, and are treating it as a crime scene. They dusted the site for fingerprints, but it's not known if they are looking at TxDOT cameras in the area.

Lamar Outdoor Advertising owns the billboard, and they say as of 3:30 yesterday, the billboard was blank. They also say that it was not an advertisement.

As for the other theories - Mike thinks it could be a high school senior prank, or some are saying it is a national campaign against Wall Street - I guess we'll have to wait and see. I just hope it is nothing but a sick joke, and the people responsible are publically humiliated for their stupidity.