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A pair of giant earphones has gone missing in Halifax

Police forces, in general, are not known for their puns.

But Halifax Regional Police had a bit of fun on Thursday, issuing a statement that they are "keeping [their] ear to the ground" after a supersized, four-foot-by-four-foot pair of headphones was stolen from a bus shelter in the city.

The headphones were part of an outdoor ad campaign for Dairy Farmers of Canada, , which is running across Ontario and the Maritimes. It's part of a larger series of ads targeting health-conscious consumers and encouraging them to consider chocolate milk as a post-workout drink. The campaign began April 16, and the large headphones were installed at select locations in Halifax and Toronto in mid-May.

The campaign, created by Toronto-based Due North Communications, features a two-dimensional bus shelter ad touting the benefits of chocolate milk, and envelops the bus shelter with the headphones. The oversized accessory is decorated with a QR (quick-response) code and instructions to scan it to download free workout music. They were supposed to stay up until early July.

"I think the theft is a positive sign, in that the campaign is definitely getting some attention," said Due North president Jill King.  "On the other hand, it's vandalism, and it was an expensive installation."

Halifax police believe the headphones were stolen some time this week or last. Because of the size of the headphones, "it is believed that two or more people are responsible for the theft," the police statement said.

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