Ashley Charles – Subway Advertising
Advertisers have the challenge of finding ways to make commercials exciting. As it is now, most commercials (aside from the super bowl) are considered an annoying interruption in daily life, a necessary evil. People use the time for commercials for bathroom breaks, or to check their phones, and basically do everything they can to get them out of the way. Innovators have thought of the idea of subway advertising, which means converting the concrete walls of subway tunnels into motion pictures. This is a creative way to spice up the boring commute for many people, and has been received with enthusiasm from passengers.
*Less distractions as the audience is captive
* Tedious repetitive part of day. Riders are accustomed to the blank walls, and it’s a change from the normal day-to-day routine
* Underground- nothing usually to look at on walls of subway, Attention getting because new
* People don’t like to make eye contact with strangers, so it gives them something to look at and reduces the “awkwardness” of being on crowded public transportation
* Form of entertainment, Aspects of anticipation and curiosity toward the new medium
Ideas for Innovation
*Keep advertisements entertaining and fresh, not just standard product promotions
* Incorporate some sort of interactive way to utilize walls as subway passengers, such as drawing your own wall graffiti with a smartphone or leaving your own messages on the walls.
* Have a subway commercial app on smartphones that is synched up to your location and plays corresponding audio along to the commercial through your headphones. This would be a good idea for musicians and local bands to pay to show people their music, and get publicity.
* Going off of the idea above, entire music videos could be shown and played on subway walls.
* Vary the commercials so it isn’t the same advertisement every day, as the same people likely take the same routes daily and will stop paying attention after a while of the same ad.
*Another idea is to utilize 3 dimensional technologies. 3D glasses can be distributed by the advertising companies at subway stations for people to watch short 3D videos during their ride, in which figures can pop out and interact with the passing train, or making it look like the train is driving though interesting scenery.