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By JENNIFER MANN
Columnist

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Quicksilver Express Courier driver Paul Porter says that in the last two weeks he’s been honked at more than ever before and he’s twice been stopped by police.

All because of a Sonic drink cup clipped on the trunk of his car.

Porter is one of 50 people in the Kansas City area who are driving around with the cups attached to their cars as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign developed by Barkley Evergreen & Partners.

Pat Piper, vice president and group creative director for the ad agency, said the original idea was to create oversized cups and attach them to cars as a way to bring attention to the new drink initiative in which Sonic customers can choose from among 168,894 flavor combinations.

Eventually Barkley art director Brad Jungles and writer Matt McCaffree decided to attach actual cups to the cars.

The response has been overwhelming and surprising, Piper and Porter say.

“It’s been a real eye-opener,” Porter said. “A lot of people are so helpful. They’ll get out of their car at a light and try to hand the cup to you. When you tell them what’s going on, most just laugh and sort of shake their heads.”

Porter has been stopped twice by police, once by a Kansas City officer in the Northland, the second time by a Kansas patrolman.

“The Kansas state highway patrolman asked, ‘What’s the deal with the cup?’ ” Porter said. “Pretty much the same with the officer north of the river. Both were really nice, but you know it’s part of their job to make sure there are no hazards on the highways.”

Barkley also has recorded video of people’s reactions, including the reactions of two doormen at the Hotel Phillips.

“One of the doormen was pointing and yelling at the car while another ran and tried to grab it off,” Piper said. “Then he had this stunned reaction as the driver explained what was the deal.”

Said Piper of the campaign: “We just wanted to try something different. One thing we’ve learned, which is kind of a neat thing, is that it capitalizes on good human nature.”