7th/metro station’s new ad blitz
Earlier this spring visitors to Downtown’s 7th Street/Metro Center subway station were bombarded with almost obscene banners of giant McDonald’s Angus beef burgers. It was part of the MTA’s new pilot program to adorn metro rail stations and trains across the city with revenue-generating ad campaigns.
Looking past the over-magnified grease and dripping burger fat, the advertising idea was mostly well-received from metro riders who thought the terminals’ flavorless gray walls could use a little color. Others vowed never to eat fast food again.
After the two-month trial run, however, the burger banners disappeared and we had our bland walls back. I had almost forgotten about the ad blitz until this week, a new – much more “tasteful” – ad series for Latino 96.3 has been installed at 7th/Metro and Union Station.
As a daily subway rider, I really dig the bold new look and hope the ads become permanent fixtures. Those art light box panels with the rotating photo exhibits are nice, but just don’t cut it.
8 comments
I saw those last night. They are really atrocious. At least the McDonalds and UFC ads looked like they were done by professionals. It would be less overwhelming if the entire station wasn’t covered in the SAME ad in different sizes. Like if there was an Apple ad here, a Quiznos ad there. These are just ad blitz assaults on the eye.
well, the mcdonalds ads were really over the top, but I Do think Metro is going down the right path. This is a pretty good way to produce revenue and I welcome the idea.
as long as they have some variety in the adverts they display I will be happy.
I much preferred the McDonalds ads. As Ray said, these new ones look completely unprofessional design-wise. Plus, the McDonalds ones introduced me to the best burger McDonalds have ever made, and my addiction for much of the summer
The Metro station at Hollywood and Vine has a series of hideous, atrociously ugly, repetitive ads for La Raza radio station.
I understand the Metro system is hard up for cash. I just wish they would make the ads a little more aesthetically palatable. Also, do they need to go in every available square foot of space? I feel like I’m being bombarded from all sides.
The overall design, lighting and wayfinding of Metro stations are bad enough. Do we have to be subjected to yet more visual detritus?
-Swayframe
p.s. what’s a “URI”?
I prefer to walk than be insulted by the advertising at the Metro stations. This would never fly in New York or San Francisco let alone Europe. Get with it MTA, you’ve raised your rates – now leave us alone damn it!
I think there is a consensus the execution of Latino 96.3 is pretty unsophisticated. I don’t think it is really the MTA’s place to dictate aesthetics to advertisers. Nor do I think it is smart to consider it. If this advertising actually works (i.e. attracts listeners), unfortunately, we’ll see more of it. However, I’m pretty confident this lousy advertising won’t be effective. This station and this morning show in particular have been struggling to build their audience for a couple of years.
And for those who think New York or San Francisco or Europe are immune to bad taste and mediocre advertising, I think that’s a highly debatable. It is also beside the point. Advertising is driven by results not aesthetics.
^ While I agree it’s not “MTA’s place to dictate aesthetics to advertisers”, I do think they have complete control over the size and placement of these banners. IOW, they could negotiate something a bit smaller for the walls only, rather than the massive coverage of both wall and floor space.
Think of it this way Joel. If the execution of this campaign was good, we wouldn’t care about the size of the graphics. It would ‘work’. We might even marvel or enjoy it.
But, this campaign is garish in the extreme. (Heck, the girl isn’t even pretty.) Hopefully, the campaign will fail as it so deserves, never to return. Our nightmare is it actually works and encourages the radio station to persist in this ugly outdoor campaign.