On Nov 2, 11:49*am, wrote:
On Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:36:05 +0000
congokid wrote:
In all I don't think it's a positive development, at least for
advertisers, as they're probably paying huge premiums to make and
display electronic adverts that end up being largely ignored.
LU need to get their priorities right. They must've spent tens of thousands
installing these things on the escalators at Tottenham court road station
a few years back. Meanwhile the booking hall still resembles a dingy basement
and will probably remain so until crossrail is finished now.
I'd imagine the bulk of the expenditure (w.r.t. both the LCD displays
and also XTP) would have been made by CBS Outdoor, and even if there
has been some outlay from LUL then the point is that the returns from
advertising are expected to be that much higher because advertisers
will pay a premium.
e.g. see this 2007 press release...
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corpora...hive/6150.html
....in which Richard Parry, LU's Director of Service Development,
(apparently) said, amongst other things:
"The new advertising media is expected to increase advertising
revenues for London Underground which will be reinvested in the
improvement of the Underground network."
Also there's this 2008 press release...
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corpora...hive/8730.html
I know everyone here is saying they just ignore it all, but
advertisers will have some rationale behind their willingness to pay
the extra in order to access these digital displays. Personally,
whilst I'm not wildly keen on the idea of moving and flashing images
predominating everywhere, I'm not sure I've really got a problem with
all this - one wouldn't normally be waiting on a central London tube
station's platform for very long, nor does it take all that long to
ascend the escalators (and if it encourages people to walk up said
escalators rather then stare at the advertising then all the better!).
Advertising screens on trains - now that I would have a problem with
(and I didn't much like the advertising screens that found their way
onto Routemasters towards the end of their life).