Motion Picture Ads Infiltrating Transit Systems

I am continually amazed by the new means advertisers find to display their messages. Advertisers have reached beyond the traditional forms of advertising through on-line advertising and product placement in TV shows and movies. Now, advertisers are taking advantage of a revolutionary way of reaching audiences on subways, trains, escalators, roller coasters and moving walkways: 15-second motion pictures.

If you’ve taken a ride on the DC redline metro between Metro Center, Gallery Place/Chinatown, and Judiciary Square, you’ve likely seen the moving Target ad, which works on the same principle as the old-time cartoon flipbooks.

Submedia (http://www.sub-media.com/), is the company that produces these ads in DC and in other cities including New York, Atlanta, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Studies have show that the company’s displays have resulted in the highest recall rate of all transit advertising.

It’s brilliant, really. I’m surprised it’s taken advertisers this long to take advantage of such advertising opportunities in underground transit systems. Motion-picture-like ads are such a novel concept. Passengers are not yet completely accustomed to them. The flashy messages, therefore, are very eye-catching, interesting, and memorable.

However, the novelty may very well wear off quickly. The motion picture ads can be distracting to commuters who read or work during their transit. Furthermore, this form of advertising opens the door for more transit-related advertising opportunities, such as advertising on fare cards and corporate naming rights for metro/subway stops. Aren’t we already bombarded enough with ads in our everyday lives? It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to these new types of advertising as they continue to gain popularity. Will the ads irritate commuters and be a passing fad, or will they become the future of advertising?

-Christina