Can University students wrap their heads around MTA ads?

The Metropolitan Transit Authority's (MTA) subway cars, buses, train station walls and even staircases have become a major advertising platform for companies.

With recent budget shortfalls, fare hikes and service cuts, the MTA has been trying to keep its head above water. Advertising revenue has helped subdue some of that trouble.

According to Mta.info, the MTA has an average weekly ridership of 8,739,680.  With such a reliable wide audience, it sounds like an advertiser's dream. "I think it's an extremely effective way of advertising. Any time you have a captive audience and your message everywhere, you win," University Communications Department Chair Dr. Barry Morris said. 

Master's of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and entrepreneurship graduate student Sarthak Shah seemed to agree.  "It's a great idea and companies should look to MTA walls for mass marketing for this will increase brand visibility and target a larger audience," Shah said.

Still, there has been debate from certain groups who say that the advertisements are becoming more of a bombardment than mere advertising.  Companies are buying full train wraps and vinyl ads that cover entire walkway walls, poles and staircases.

 "It works best when the advertiser has different pitches, or better a series of related pitches, about the product so the rider's eye searches out all of the ads actively—admit it. You do that. Just having the same pitch 30 times is better than nothing but not much," Morris said.

Advertising companies certainly take advantage of this great opportunity and know their audiences.

"I find it interesting that on different lines, they have different ads," said sophomore business major Amanda Grayson.

This is evident in the way that companies target certain lines to fit certain commuter interests. 

For example, the shuttle train travels between Grand Central to Times Square, two of the busiest stations in the subway system.  Yes, it has a short route, but with the amount of traffic that flows on it every day, it is no wonder companies have taken this as an opportunity.

Many of the trains on this line are wrapped in ads—both outside and in.  One train was decked out by the Netherlands Board of Tourism.  In fact, their main Web site, Justbeinholland.com, now features an online simulation of the train.

The exterior of the train is plastered with tulip fields that extend to the entire length of the train.  Inside, the ordinary train was completely transformed to look like the inside of an old-fashioned one. 

The seats were covered with laminate that looked like cushions and the ceiling looked like it had stick-on crown molding. The frames that are usually advertising placements had photos of old paintings in them.

These elaborate advertisements can either seem fun or bombarding. Some feel that it is too much and that what is left of public space is being taken over by advertising.

"As far as whether it should be allowed, I would say that if you are going to allow advertising at all, you might as well allow this." Dr. Morris said.

"The more successful an ad campaign is, the more you can charge for it. The  

more you make on ads, the less you have to raise fares and cut service," he continued.  Some students completely disagree. "It's bullshit," sophomore Philosophy & Religious Studies major Christopher Schweitzer said. "I think that if they are having so many subway ads, they should be able to pay for something. I'm still paying $2.25!" Schweitzer added.

"It's definitely a psychology thing. It's not like I see these Budweiser ads and think 'Oh hey let's go get some Budweiser's'," freshman psychology major Chelsie Burchett said.

"I only read them when I'm trying not to make eye contact with people," sophomore marketing major Casey McDonald said.

"I like it because it gives me something to look at, but it would be better to have different ads instead of one company," freshman business major Francesca Trezza said.

As much as the public opinion varies, the fact is that advertising in public spaces are becoming more vast, more repetitive and more advanced.  Successful or not, vinyl wraps will continue to fuel the debate.