Comments on: MTA looking to brand subway car exteriors

By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » Ads, ads, everywhere ads

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:11:59 +0000

[...] As the talk of the MTA’s budget problems has grown, we’ve heard stories, on and off, about the agency’s efforts to attract more advertising dollars. In April, I warned riders that more ads were soon to be a reality, and in May, word leaked of MTA plans to brand the outside of rail cars. [...]

By: Sick of Ads

Sick of Ads — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:10:09 +0000

Don’t fool yourself: you will end up with both.

By: Sick of Ads

Sick of Ads — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:47:27 +0000

That’s spurious logic. The next fare increase will come no matter what. I guarantee you in 5 years the fare will be quite a bit higher. Will it be higher and look like the inside of some horrible, garish pinball machine? Or will it be higher and us commuters have something normal to look at.

When you mock people who “value the aesthetics of the present exteriors”, you’re missing the point. The point isn’t that the outside of a train, or the walls and floors and ceilings of a subway station are “beautiful” — the point is that they’re NEUTRAL. They’re not trying to influence your thoughts. They’re not trying to raise your “brand awareness”. They are what they are. Think about how many ad messages you see every day. You ignore them, right? Of course you do. But a lot of us would rather not be surrounded by crap we have to consciously tune out.

Today it’s wrapping plastic crap around every surface they can get away with. Tomorrow (and I guarantee this) it will be sound and moving images you CAN’T ignore. All the while justifying it with the comparitively paltry sums they pay to do so.

Maybe some sheep don’t have a problem with this, but a lot of people do.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:38:34 +0000

It’s not a matter of liking ads. I like ads a lot more than I like fare hikes.

By: Sick of Ads

Sick of Ads — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:36:33 +0000

No, the “world has not ended”, but at the same time yet another part of public space has been reduced to a rolling billboard. You like ads? Flip through a magazine or watch some on your iPod or whatever.

By: Sick of Ads

Sick of Ads — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:34:31 +0000

These are OUR trains. As taxpayers and fare-payers, they belong to the public. And yet here the MTA is selling our attention to advertisers who want to force us to look at their products. I’m sick of this trend. Public space is public space. It should not be for sale. I like looking at things that are not ads. I like to look at a wall and have it be a wall. I like having the space to think my own thoughts instead of always having a commercial message crammed down my throat.

Your “money is money” argument doesn’t wash. How much do you want to bet that the State will reduce MTA expenditures if revenue is “found” in new ways?

Today’s wrapping of static ads on every conceivable surface will yield to video EVERYWHERE soon enough. Watch — video technology is getting cheaper and cheaper.

You want to live in a Bladerunner-esque nightmare? Good for you. I do not.

By: Victor Cook

Victor Cook — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:41:50 +0000

I grew up in NYC in the 70′s/80′s when the subway cars were all decorated in the grafitti/soot motif. Even though the subway cars are a thousand times cleaner now, I think a little color would be a nice change of pace over the current stainless steel/weathered aluminum look that most cars carry. Will it happen? Probably not…can you imagine the MTA managing that task alone…it would not be pretty. To anyone who values the aesthetics of the present exteriors and feels the need to protest any any changes to it’s grimy metallic charm I ask this: Would you really prefer the next fare increase to arrive sooner ? I don’t know about you, but given the opportunity to hang on to my cash a little long, I would not mind if my ride looked like a 45 ft. long NASCAR racer.

By: ScottE

ScottE — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:28:01 +0000

PATH is supposed to start putting video screens in stations and the newer trains – giving news, weather, and advertisements – to bring in some revenue. NBC Universal is supposed to run the thing and just pay a flat fee to PATH. This replaces the PATHVision system that’s out there now.

(see Press Release here)

I believe the MTA doesn’t want outside agencies messing with the inside and outside of their subway cars and buses, so they try to operate the advertising business and hang the signs themselves. I suspect this is why we see so many blank advertising panels on the subways and in stations, and why we saw ads on the subway for a televised Justin Timberlake concert months after it had past.

I’m all for finding new sources of revenue, but I’m just not convinced they can pull this off successfully.

By: Thomas William Daly

Thomas William Daly — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:29:23 +0000

Whats the big swing? Buses have been getting wrapped in Australia for a number of years now. No doubt they have been in other countries too.

@ herenthere re: in-station tvs. I spent a few months in Valencia, Spain in 2006 and they have these also. They give all manner of things happening in national and international news, current affaris, sports, local events, and 3rd party advertising. In fact, they had the same thing in the elevator to take me to my apartment. I presume it is not that uncommon as the apartment block itself was average enough.

Any new news?

By: Roosevelt Island 360 (Eric)

Roosevelt Island 360 (Eric) — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:46:37 +0000

I agree with everything you said but if the folks at the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation ever start slapping ads on the outside of the Tram I will mourn it as a loss to a true NYC icon. Inside the cabin would not bother me but outside would be a loss. Just my opinion.