We received 177 entries correctly identifying the Fake Ad—encouraging people to visit St. Louis—on page 55 of the January Observer.
“The January 2024 Fake Ad, for MUNY in St. Louis, challenges us: How real can a Fake Ad be?” mused Eric Sobocinski. “St. Louis, MO, is a real place, the MUNY is a real venue and respected theater group, the pictures are really them, and the chamber name is a mashup of its old and new real names. The eight hour travel distance is unusual, but why not if advertising tourism? But last month’s winner’s name stands out, crossing lines within ‘… to the MUNY? ON my way’ right there in the middle, so this has got to be it.”
St. Louis, it turns out, is a special place for Fake Adder Nancie Loppnow. “STL the one!” she wrote. “Yep, St. Louis is still tops in our book for being the home of Washington University, where Don and I met 55 years ago. Page 55 goes right along with the Fake Ad. Perfect!”
Quite a coincidence. And it also got us to Google Don and Nancie Loppnow, which is how we learned Don was the interim president of Eastern Michigan University three times! Our winner, Rose Paretti, is taking her gift certificate to Zingerman’s.
