Zoetrope-style ads in the BART tunnel

hogginthefogg

This is pretty freaky to see on your morning commute:

For Bay folks, you can see it on your way to Embarcadero from Montgomery. or ???I think it's kinda rad, but it doesn't necessarily make me wanna shop at Target any more than I already do.

DjArcadian

I must have zoned out this morning because I didn't see it. I usually have my face in a newspaper. Anyway, I need less advertising in my life.

DB_Cooper

They had those in the subway from Harvard to Central Square in Boston several months back. Pretty cool as a novelty, but I still didn't find myself motivated to book the cruise they were advertising.

maru

fuck dude. i had that same EXACT idea when i was an advertising student a year ago. it was for nike though. so much for that.

drewnice

All advertising departments need you to do is remember the name. So the next time you have a choice of where to shop or book a cruise, their company pops up in your head as an option. You may not know why, but it could have been that ridiculously annoying drive-by attack subway ad. The are no rules anymore as companies elbow eachother out of the way for your attention. I think it's fascinating.

DB_Cooper

All advertising departments need you to do is remember the name. So the next time you have a choice of where to shop or book a cruise, their company pops up in your head as an option.

True. It didn't work so well, though, as all I remember about it is the picture of the ship moving toward an island. No worse than static advertising, though. At least there's some movement to look at.

tirefire

They've had these in Chicago for a couple years now. I'm actually a little offended by it. I can imagine the guy who thought it up riding to work, furious that there's a spot left in the city that doesn't have an ad message, and scheming to fill it.

drewnice

All advertising departments need you to do is remember the name. So the next time you have a choice of where to shop or book a cruise, their company pops up in your head as an option.

True. It didn't work so well, though, as all I remember about it is the picture of the ship moving toward an island. No worse than static advertising, though. At least there's some movement to look at.

Yeah, if the company's name didn't make an impression, then it's not effective advertising.

drewnice

They've had these in Chicago for a couple years now. I'm actually a little offended by it. I can imagine the guy who thought it up riding to work, furious that there's a spot left in the city that doesn't have an ad message, and scheming to fill it.

Has anyone seen the ads in those airport security baskets people put their shoes, bags, etc. in yet?

If not, I assure you they are coming...

ariel_calmer

This will not get me to buy my clothes at target. Not that I am the biggest clothes horse but target clothes are for fools.
Maybe I will pick up a cheese grater there, or refill bags for a vacuum.

DjArcadian

This will not get me to buy my clothes at target. Not that I am the biggest clothes horse but target clothes are for fools.
Maybe I will pick up a cheese grater there, or refill bags for a vacuum.

Is there even a Target in San Francisco?

TheeeCasualMale

I think this is fresh.

maru

All advertising departments need you to do is remember the name. So the next time you have a choice of where to shop or book a cruise, their company pops up in your head as an option. You may not know why, but it could have been that ridiculously annoying drive-by attack subway ad. The are no rules anymore as companies elbow eachother out of the way for your attention. I think it's fascinating.

advertising is all subliminal branding. it's phsychology. advertising makes you feel a certain way about a brand, either good or bad. they want consumers to feel proud to be shopping or buying their product (Apple is the clear case). no ad is going to make you "want" to go do something or buy something, unless perhaps it's for a new product.

personally i think Target's advertising is

it has been for years. if i had a choice between a Target and Walmart but had to drive an extra 10 minutes to Target, I'd choose Target. i just don't get good vibes shopping at walmart-their image, their branding, their aesthetic is just weak in comparison.

Scott

They have these in DC, too. Pretty disorienting at first, but after a while you learn to tune them out and just think about Soulstrut.

rootlesscosmo

This is pretty freaky to see on your morning commute:





For Bay folks, you can see it on your way to Embarcadero from Montgomery.

or ???

I think it's kinda rad, but it doesn't necessarily make me wanna shop at Target any more than I already do.

missed that. I did van ness to embarcadero this morning but I took the train instead of Bart.

mumbosauce

They have these in DC, too. Pretty disorienting at first, but after a while you learn to tune them out and just think about Soulstrut.

Yeah the dc metro system is becoming one big advertisement lately. they have trans covered in adds. billboards and banners all over the place and those adds in the subway tunnel (like the ads in the youtube video from above). with all this new found income they are still more than likely going to increase the fair.

rootlesscosmo

All advertising departments need you to do is remember the name. So the next time you have a choice of where to shop or book a cruise, their company pops up in your head as an option. You may not know why, but it could have been that ridiculously annoying drive-by attack subway ad. The are no rules anymore as companies elbow eachother out of the way for your attention. I think it's fascinating.

honestly -- and I know fools will roll their eyes and swear that "the joke is on me," but I have to say this type of advertising does not work on me.

my cynical ass is more likely to avoid a company with ubiquitous, smarmy ads all over the place. sure, their name may "stick in my head," but more likely on some "oh, yeah, I am not going there because their ubiquitous, smarmy ads annoy the hell out of me."

on a related note, am I the only one that thinks the St. Mary's Hospital ads are NAGL X 1 MILLION!?!? It's like this attempt to portray "humorous emergency room situations" followed by the claim "Emergency care in under 30 miunutes."

WTF? Is this something to be joking about/making marketing claims about?

maru

on a related note, am I the only one that thinks the St. Mary's Hospital ads are NAGL X 1 MILLION!?!? It's like this attempt to portray "humorous emergency room situations" followed by the claim "Emergency care in under 30 miunutes."

well i think it's pretty stupid to advertise for something like emergency care. if i have an emergency you best believe i'm going to the closest hospital possible.

spelunk

on a related note, am I the only one that thinks the St. Mary's Hospital ads are NAGL X 1 MILLION!?!? It's like this attempt to portray "humorous emergency room situations" followed by the claim "Emergency care in under 30 miunutes."

WTF? Is this something to be joking about/making marketing claims about?

I just never understand why a hospital would advertise. Under what logic would you say "I wasn't planning on going to the hospital after that car accident, but I saw the ad for St. Mary's so maybe I'll go." Maybe I'm missing something, but if shit happens, you go to the closest hospital where your insurance will cover you, right? Not like there's crazy competition.

The whole train flipped out upon seeing those new BART ads on Sunday night. This one little kid had the most confused look on his face, it was priceless.

rootlesscosmo

if shit happens, you go to the closest hospital where your insurance will cover you, right? Not like there's crazy competition.

right. I think it says a lot about this country in 2007 that we have smarmy ads for shit like emergency rooms. is there no limit to marketing in this country?

more than that though, at least from my perspective, is the EXTREMELY poor taste involved in making light of medical emergencies. I mean, the one showing the crossing signal? "I think I can make it..." I mean, I'm sure the marketing team thought that was really clever, but we're talking about someone getting hit by a car.

dollar_bin

I think this is fresh.

Although I'm indifferent to the message, I'm a huge fan of the medium. I've built numerous zoetropes/praxinoscopes/animation toys and I've always been intrigued by the linear zoetrope. Too bad they wasted the opportunity by just having what apparently looks like printed video. Why not just put a monitor inside the train? You know, these things work pretty well with 3D objects too.

edith head

it was pretty jarring the first time i saw them in the morning half-awake. but i think they turn them off a lot (the lights that illuminate them at least), because they're never there when i expect to see them.

i'm surprised i haven't heard reports of seizures

drewnice

on a related note, am I the only one that thinks the St. Mary's Hospital ads are NAGL X 1 MILLION!?!? It's like this attempt to portray "humorous emergency room situations" followed by the claim "Emergency care in under 30 miunutes."

WTF? Is this something to be joking about/making marketing claims about?

I can see how their attempt at humor will be hit or miss with some people, but don't miss the point. St. Mary's is selling the benefit of emergency care "in under 30 minutes". Anybody been to an emergency room lately? It can take much longer than that to get seen by a doctor. Their ads will strike a chord with a lot of folks who wouldn't know about their QuickCare service otherwise. That's all they're trying to communicate.

This Wharton education is just starting to pay off, batches, ain't no stopping me now!

billbradley

Speaking of ad's check this one out:

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2007/03/nifty-billboard-buckle-up-even-if-youre.html

rootlesscosmo

I can see how their attempt at humor will be hit or miss with some people, but don't miss the point. St. Mary's is selling the benefit of emergency care "in under 30 minutes". Anybody been to an emergency room lately? It can take much longer than that to get seen by a doctor. Their ads will strike a chord with a lot of folks who wouldn't know about their QuickCare service otherwise. That's all they're trying to communicate.

This Wharton education is just starting to pay off, batches, ain't no stopping me now!

again...

at least from my perspective, is the EXTREMELY poor taste involved in making light of medical emergencies. I mean, the one showing the crossing signal? "I think I can make it..." I mean, I'm sure the marketing team thought that was really clever, but we're talking about someone getting hit by a car[/b] .

drewnice

I can see how their attempt at humor will be hit or miss with some people, but don't miss the point. St. Mary's is selling the benefit of emergency care "in under 30 minutes". Anybody been to an emergency room lately? It can take much longer than that to get seen by a doctor. Their ads will strike a chord with a lot of folks who wouldn't know about their QuickCare service otherwise. That's all they're trying to communicate.

This Wharton education is just starting to pay off, batches, ain't no stopping me now!

again...

at least from my perspective, is the EXTREMELY poor taste involved in making light of medical emergencies. I mean, the one showing the crossing signal? "I think I can make it..." I mean, I'm sure the marketing team thought that was really clever, but we're talking about someone getting hit by a car[/b] .

Poor taste is poor taste. Can't argue with that.

mannybolone

I can see how their attempt at humor will be hit or miss with some people, but don't miss the point. St. Mary's is selling the benefit of emergency care "in under 30 minutes". Anybody been to an emergency room lately? It can take much longer than that to get seen by a doctor. Their ads will strike a chord with a lot of folks who wouldn't know about their QuickCare service otherwise. That's all they're trying to communicate.

This Wharton education is just starting to pay off, batches, ain't no stopping me now!

again...

at least from my perspective, is the EXTREMELY poor taste involved in making light of medical emergencies. I mean, the one showing the crossing signal? "I think I can make it..." I mean, I'm sure the marketing team thought that was really clever, but we're talking about someone getting hit by a car[/b] .

Poor taste is poor taste. Can't argue with that.

And yet, we've managed to spend all this time talking about St. Mary's ads.

Looks like they had their desired effect.

ako

And yet, we've managed to spend all this time talking about St. Mary's ads.

Looks like they had their desired effect.

hahahaha

its funny, i often find that the people bothered by the stuff devote the most time talking about it.

is it really that big a deal?

rootlesscosmo

I can see how their attempt at humor will be hit or miss with some people, but don't miss the point. St. Mary's is selling the benefit of emergency care "in under 30 minutes". Anybody been to an emergency room lately? It can take much longer than that to get seen by a doctor. Their ads will strike a chord with a lot of folks who wouldn't know about their QuickCare service otherwise. That's all they're trying to communicate.

This Wharton education is just starting to pay off, batches, ain't no stopping me now!

again...

at least from my perspective, is the EXTREMELY poor taste involved in making light of medical emergencies. I mean, the one showing the crossing signal? "I think I can make it..." I mean, I'm sure the marketing team thought that was really clever, but we're talking about someone getting hit by a car[/b] .

Poor taste is poor taste. Can't argue with that.

And yet, we've managed to spend all this time talking about St. Mary's ads.

Looks like they had their desired effect.

well, like I said above:

honestly -- and I know fools will roll their eyes and swear that "the joke is on me," but I have to say this type of advertising does not work on me.

my cynical ass is more likely to avoid a company with ubiquitous, smarmy ads all over the place. sure, their name may "stick in my head," but more likely on some "oh, yeah, I am not going there because their ubiquitous, smarmy ads annoy the hell out of me."

this idea that talking/thinking about a product = my buying said product at a later date is totally bogus. this is particularly true of these NAGL St. Mary's ads because they're not just faux-clever, but are actually sorta creepy and disgusting.

the effect that St. Mary's "desired" may be that I would be disgusted by their add, talk shit on the internet, and then not go there.

but I doubt that was the desired effect.

mannybolone

yeah but you just exposed that same ad - that you find disgusting no less - to an even larger audience of people.

I mean...you kind of have to admire the irony there dude.

rootlesscosmo

truth is I get that St. Mary's cheddar on the back end.