Technically Not Tech: The Travelocity Traveling Gnome

For a city that is used to being voted to the wrong end of top ten lists, Philly is making a comeback. Ugliest? Fattest? Psh.
This is the birthplace of American democracy, and we are finally starting to show it. Earlier this month, Philadelphians rose up en masse and voted Phillies CF Shane Victornio to the final roster spot in the MLB All Star game, beating out players from San Fran, Washington and Los Angeles.
In our latest victory, thanks to the urging of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation, Philly won the right to host Travolcity‘s traveling gnome for a week over Boston and D.C.
Since then, it has been tweeting and Facebooking its exploits all around town including a stereotypical run up the Art Museum steps, a visit to South Street and a cheesesteak, among other activities.
You may remember the gnome from TV ads a few years back. The ads were inspired by the common prank of stealing your neighbor’s gnome and holding it “hostage” as you photograph it in front of monuments around the world. At its peak, the trend even had an organization, The Garden Gnome Liberation Front.
The Travelocity gnome’s itinerary was planned out by the GPTMC, the people behind all of those clever “With Love, Philadelphia” ads you see on billboards everywhere. His visit was also chronicled by our friends at The Clog, who have been sending their interns to chase him around.
Its next stop is either Jamaica, Cancun or Hawaii.
Every Monday, Technically Not Tech will feature people, projects, and businesses that are involved with Philly’s tech scene, but aren’t necessarily technology focused. See others here.