More Commercial Messages for Your Commute

Following the news that garbage trucks would soon be creative canvas for advertisers, and with ads already in and now around subway cars...it was only a matter of time before the interior subway tunnels themselves became a money-maker as well. Who looks out the windows while underground? Who knows, but LA has commercial images projected on the interior of tunnels, and now NYC is going to try it out. The NY Times reports that "starting next spring with the 42nd Street-Times Square shuttle, passengers will see advertising outside the windows as the train travels between stations. The messages will look rather like jumpy 15-second TV ads." To illuminate the underground with your ad, it'll cost around $95K for one month. Okay fine, it's actually kind of cool. But if you think the adsuration of NYC stops there, think again--turnstile arms (Purell should really get in on this action), station interiors and exterior station walls are also up for grabs now.

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By Jen Carlson in News on October 17, 2008 10:45 AM

Comments [rss]

matty

We have this in chicago but the trains run so slowly that the animation effect fails. haha.

Jeffrey Bary

The Union Square station already has video advertising:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70118259@N00/2949916042/

ianmac47

As every surface in the world is covered in advertising, the revenue from any single ad space will diminish as the value of ad space is reduced.

Spirit of 76

I'm waiting for First Alert to sponsor fire engines.

jt10000

"Anyone remember the "animated" graffiti while pulling out of the DeKalb station toward Manhattan on, I think, the B and D?"

Yeah, that was amazing art. I loved looking for that, but perhaps the coolest thing was seeing this little kid spot it and yell out "I liiiike it!!"

But the bombardment of our senses with ads is over the top. We just get too much. There should be better ways to raise money than this sort of stuff. Or perhaps if there were more restrictions on outside/public space advertising the total revenue raised could be kept up, since ads wouldn't be competing with each other so much.

ed_Extinct

It's funny too, when I was in college one of my ad assignments was to create an alternative way to view advertising on the street to the public. My class partner and I basically came up with this, although it has been done before, the idea is based off of a flip-book.

slappy

Not in favor of more advertising, but those kinetic optical illusion ads in the tunnels are pretty cool.

TimSPC

The PATH also had one between the WTC and Exchange Place. I haven't taken it in a few years, so I don't know if it's still there.

Wza

Barry, I remember the graff/art on the B/D line and Duffy is right, they are bringing it back.

I actually saw people working on it a few weeks ago while taking the train....lights were on and everything!

buzzbuzzard

#5 barryap: I remember it. It's still there actually, just rarely lit and covered over by some jackasses' graffiti. What the point of tagging in there I could never understand. No one can read the tags! I don't know why they haven't restored this, I think there'd be a line of volunteers for such a project around the block.

Rfive

@ barry: the rocket ship used to take off before you left the tunnel into daylight.

they have these animated ads in the tokyo subway tunnels. they are cool to discover.

why did it take the mta so long to sell ad space outside of the trains? they are 10 years behind the curve on this.

donner

The PATH has had one for a while that's still going and changes every month or so. It's between 14th street and 23rd.

Duffy

Barry, I remember reading that it was an art installation that they were going to bring back to life.

When I lived in Chicago, they were doing a test run of an animated billboard on the Blue line. It was actually pretty interesting, and worked in a very similar, stroboscopic way.

SikBug

I remember that Path ones, it tripped me out for a min because it really looked like a screen with the Ad moving.

barryap

Anyone remember the "animated" graffiti while pulling out of the DeKalb station toward Manhattan on, I think, the B and D?

increble_plum

Yes, the PATH did do this, in 2001 I believe. They were animated Christmas ads for Target.

bobchadwick

I don't mind having more ads if it helps stave off another fare increase for a while.

Think2wice

starting next spring with the 42nd Street-Times Square shuttle

Afterwards in twelve years it'll be time for Phase Two: the Franklin Ave. shuttle...ooooh.

But if you think the adsuration of NYC stops there, think again--turnstile arms, station interiors and exterior station walls are also up for grabs now.

Is this bad news?