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The MTA, New York’s transportation authority, is facing another shortfall in its budget. For the second time in a year fares will be raised.
I find it hard to believe that the largest subway system in the world with some of the best real estate (yes, I know most of it is subterranean) has not taken the path many other transport systems in the world have taken – Advertise like there’s no tomorrow!
Yes, the sub
way cars and the stations do have advertising in the form of easily-vandalized posters and poorly-lit and maintained ad displays. However, is this all we can manage in a city saturated with the biggest, best, most famous and fabulous symbols of the 20th Century?
While living in Japan (for 3 long years) I became accustomed to everything imaginable being plastered with advertising, most noticeably the subway/train networks. At first it seemed a bit invasive holding onto strap handles with autumn leaves tickling my hand (campaign for a popular bottled tea brand) and ads on digital panels flickering to catch my attention.
But when
I moved to New York I quickly learned these so-called saturation methods of advertising benefited everyone. The straphangers, subway company, local government, advertising firm, and of course the company/brand being advertised all got their own kind of win fall. Was it really a sacrifice to have this kind of advertising in my face when I had a stable fare, clean seats and not to mention some innovative advertising to look at? Simply put, no.
All photos are courtesy of Adzilla.blogspot.com
First there was Dunkin’ and Starbucks, then there was BK and McDonalds, now there is Domino’s putting the taste test to Pizza Hut Subway?
As part of their foray into the sub market Dominos has taken up the idea (very original one at that) of doing taste tests and advertising the “positive” results (how convenient).
Have the other two recent campaigns proven a success in this consumer confidence-lacking society or are the advertisers just running out of original ideas and have decided to stoop down to the old-school ways of the mid-20th Century?
In this example you have another “underdog” in the market putting it to the stable mate in a, dare I say it, confusing commercial involving a person being propelled into a pool to symbolize the taste superiority of Domino’s subs.
This is an aggressive move by Domino’s, the same company who chipped away at Pizza Hut’s stranglehold on chain pizzerias. Likewise there were aggressive moves by Dunkin’ and BK but the charm that these underdogs (Dunkin’ slightly excluded) once had and once led them to becoming symbols of knocking over the top dogs is eroding with unoriginal, yet ballsy, advertising.
Why is it that within 3 months we have had 3 campaigns of this nature? Do people really fall for these surveys with intangible facts and figures?
When will it end?