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10 Comments

news

Close Your Eyes, It’s Time to Take the Subway

By Sean Lerner

tunnel_video.jpgThis story is a few days old, but none the less, if Sidetrack Technologies/Sub Media get their way, the windows on the TTC’s subway trains will effectively be turned into video screens displaying advertisements. As a train speeds through the tunnel, a technology born out of flip books will display lit up still pictures that when viewed at the proper speed look like video.
The College to Dundas tunnel is the first slated to be subjected to this new form of advertising. It could happen as early as this September.
Up until now, the omnipresent static ads have been enough of a nuisance to make riding the TTC a much less pleasant experience, and I admit there’s a novelty appeal of seeing the tunnel advertising in action, but if it were to become widespread, I fear that it would be intrusive enough to make me seek out another mode of transportation.
Looks like another fight for our heroes at the Toronto Public Space Committee.

Comments

  • Bruce Banner

    Adidas already has this going on in Frankfurt

  • http://www.newmindspace.com kevin bracken

    I am still skeptical about this idea but check out the video:
    http://www.sub-media.com/video/PATH_ABC7.mpg
    Some of the ads are quite beautiful and Submedia is right: When riding the train, most people look out the window – at nothing.
    I have e-mailed them advising them that perhaps we would be more welcoming of the ads if some of them were ad-free art animations.

  • Cargo

    I saw these ads on the Paris metro and they were actually pretty cool looking. I’d rather have ads in the tunnels than another fare hike.

  • http://seandhi.com Sean Lerner

    I think there’s something original about this form of advertising – and it would be neat to see once – but after the novelty wears off, and I’m trying to read my book, I’d rather not have flashing images in the corner of my eye everywhere I go (assuming it spreads across the whole system). Or if I’m just listening to music, I’d rather not be continuously watching commercials while listening to music. It just seems too intrusive – the static ads I can at least sort of ignore, but this type of video seems much harder. I’ve never experienced this – anyone here who has experienced it on a regular basis? How easy is it to ignore?

  • Adrian

    Does this mean I’m not going to be able to check out my reflection in the windows any more??
    Or what about staring at girls through their reflection so you don’t seem like a creep pervert?

  • Gloria

    Oh no! That worries me too.

  • http://www.boyreporter.ca Boy Reporter

    Cargo do you know how much money the TTC made off ads last year? About $13 million (the overall budget was a billion dollars). That works out to be about 1.3% of funding. Advertising doesn’t actually make a real difference to a fare hike…. especially not when we pay 70% of the operating budget.

  • ZMJ

    Why not stare at a good book instead?

  • http://www.popfuel.com/ Jeremy Wilson

    If the TTC actually had licensed products like toys and other memorabilia to sell, they’d make enough to get rid of all advertizing.

  • Gloria

    Jeremy, seriously. I’ve been long aching for a stylish TTC t-shirt. The TTC really doesn’t recognize or for some reason refuses to capitalize on its brand power.