Gothamist: New Digital Bus Ads to Change With Neighborhood

NannyState

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:13:21 -0500

The brightness can be modulated downward as they have on many digital billboards after all the complaints. The creepy thing about selling by zip code or whatever is the same toxic issue of liquor ads in distressed neighborhoods were in the eighties (does anyone ever learn?) The best thing to do is go citywide with the ads and not presume that people in the Bronx are more interested in Budweiser than Macys.

NutsInNY

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:44:14 -0500

Thanks, Gothamist... Nutty enough for "Nuts in NY". http://www.nutsinny.com/all-nuts/nut-soup-weekend-im-meeting-beyonce-on-the-gwb Best, David @ N.I.N.Y.

supernova

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:49:59 -0500

I agree it doesn't seem a safe thing to do at all. Unless the ads are animated only at the stops, and otherwise remain static.(?) Either way, if I wanted to have a freaking Times Square wherever I go. I guess I'd hang out there...

sowhtifithppnsitwll

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:15:06 -0500

an accident waiting to happen. heres a good idea, nothing to do with story. if bloomberg wants money for the city put cameras on front of busses and mail tickets to cars in the bus stops.

HUGO_MEGO

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:02:34 -0500

jenchungsbra.... Miller Lite in Harlem?? More like Colt45 malt liquor ads.

ihateregistering

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:58:58 -0500

@edward_g_robincat: the last time i was in a cab, about 2 weeks ago, i had no problem turning the t.v. off. I don't really get what you mean when you say "these days when you hit the "off" button the TV stays on." In every experience I've had, hitting 'off' or 'mute' has turned it off, or muted it, respectively.

JenChungsBra

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:43:41 -0500

Holy moly, this is just begging for trouble. I give it one week before the Post has a cover story about some advertising Miller Lite in Harlem.

balutanski

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:41:23 -0500

another tiny step toward blade runner

Rocknrope

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:31:45 -0500

I love advertising of all kinds. I watch it then I immediately go out and buy the product they were shilling. You guys ever eat Big Cheez-its? Awesome.

Think twice

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:04:49 -0500

Bring. It. On.

edward_g_robincat

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:54:20 -0500

@jen chung -- Originally the "off" button actually blanked the screen. But these days when you hit the "off" button the TV stays on. Very annoying when you're trying to rest your eyes after they are bloodshot from a long night out. Admittedly not a problem everyone would share... But sometimes those touchscreens ignore the off request entirely... It's probably a conspiracy. Mark my words, within two years the "off" buttons will either be completely nonexistent or non-functional in all cabs.

jackdonaghy

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:50:42 -0500

#19, It costs more to fix a ditigal television than it is to change a poster ad. Also, consider that it's likely the screens will be vandalized, cracked, etc. and will need replacement.

Shinobi Shaw

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:36:22 -0500

Oh great! More ads to psychologically manipulate the masses into buying crap to make them fat. Really productive. How about ads promoting healthy eating? But of course that's not the point of Ads in the first place!

Rob T Firefly

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:27:39 -0500

#20: You really think this'll keep them from raising anything? I just look forward to the first time these get hacked to display something altogether more interesting than ads.

Pull My Finger

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:21:29 -0500

How long before somebody cries how the ads are racist because they sell McDonalds in Harlem and spring water in midtown or some such shit.

fleshtone

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:05:44 -0500

Radical revenue source! Let's help junk food get better exposure in poorer neighborhoods so we can have more chronic western diet diseases that people can't afford to treat and can be a greater burden on the health care system! Maybe there can be the occasional public service message like "make more babies!"

mrguy

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:02:49 -0500

whatever keeps them from raising the fare.

matty

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:00:11 -0500

"than it's not worth it since the ditigal ads require more maintenance. " they couldn't possibly require more maintance than paper ads could they?

jackdonaghy

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:56:05 -0500

The question is, how much revenue is the MTA getting from these new ads? If it's the same amount of money that the agency was getting from the traditional ads (usually for a Lifetime show or ABC radio show) than it's not worth it since the ditigal ads require more maintenance.

babyhitler

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:54:34 -0500

Now I can ignore the bus ads that I never look at digitally. If a digital ad shits in the wood and no one sees it was there ever a digital ad?

QM

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:53:04 -0500

and people complain about street art. This sort of thing disgusts me. Since when does the MTA have the right to rape my vision and mind with this sort of crap?

matty

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:39:48 -0500

I saw them on the CTA in Chicago. They're VERY bright and you can't help but look at them.

edEx

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:21:11 -0500

I wonder how distracting the moving pictures and flashing lights will be to other drivers. Could these cause a few accidents or fender-benders? I'm not sure this is relevant in nyc since everything is distracting.

Toby von Meistersinger

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:20:59 -0500

I thought the subway side ads were bad but this is worse.

Toby von Meistersinger

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:20:59 -0500

I thought the subway side ads were bad but this is worse.

TK

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:07:25 -0500

I wonder how distracting the moving pictures and flashing lights will be to other drivers. Could these cause a few accidents or fender-benders?

pop pop

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:05:35 -0500

This is just asking for trouble if Popeyes ever buys space.

PathToWisdom

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:58:58 -0500

Lets bet how soon a sign will be ripped off the buses and put into a home as a TV. I say 2 months.

whitecastlerock

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:58:43 -0500

Another great idea by the MTA...

Jen Chung

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:57:21 -0500

@edward g robincat--while I get that the Eyewitness News (WABC 7) music is their thing which works fine on TV, it's so loud and grating in the cab! Whenever I'm in a cab these days, I immediately shut it off.

Ethan

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:56:27 -0500

I am not a brain-washed consumer.

WesleySnipesAlot

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:54:03 -0500

yeah... I keep getting this ad that tells me to "Move to the offworld colonies... and begin again!" I threw my florescent-tube umbrella at it, the damn thing was driving me nuts.

edward_g_robincat

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:51:35 -0500

Great, just what NYC needs, more mental pollution. It's bad enough that you can't shut off the TVs in the frickin' cabs.

longacre

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:45:19 -0500

Figures: the ad looks great, but the side route sign is apparently broken.

Wza

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:44:16 -0500

Whoa! Cool! The future is here!

hitlerbaby

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:39:59 -0500

>Rohypnol for the Meatpacking District, XD