Pawngo is an online pawn shop – a service that provides secured loans in return for valuables, for people who need cash in a hurry. Over the past few days they’ve made a huge marketing misstep in Boston that’s drawn attention to them, but the wrong sort of attention.

First, some background: Boston’s beloved football team, the New England Patriots, squared off against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl over the weekend. With four minutes left in the game and up by two points, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw a pass to wide receiver Wes Welker – a catch Welker has, by his own admission, made a thousand times before – but it slipped through Welker’s fingers. Ultimately the Giants came from behind to win the game. At least for some Pats fans, that crucial drop was the turning point when the Pats’ loss was assured.

Pawngo decided in an ill-advised publicity stunt to deliver thousands of Butterfingers candy bars to Boston’s Copley Square. A sign accompanying the delivery read, “Thank you, Wes Welker.”

Needless to say, Boston didn’t react well to having its nose rubbed in the Pats’ loss. Patriots fans incensed by Pawngo’s callous attempt at publicity reacted negatively, excoriating the company on Twitter and other social networking services. What’s more, the City of Boston itself will be issuing Pawngo a $1,000 fine for illegal dumping, according to BostInno. Nestlé, makers of Butterfingers candy bars, have distanced themselves from the incident as well, noting that this was done entirely by Pawngo.

Pawngo co-founder Todd Hills took to the company’s Web site to issue an apology to Boston fans upset by the prank, calling it “a misguided and misdirected stunt” and suggesting “we all make mistakes.”

Judging by the reaction in the discussion thread beneath the blog post, Hills and Pawngo have many more fences to mend before Boston customers will forgive them. But who knows? Maybe they picked up some New York customers along the way.