New York Subways To Get Ad Wrapped

Covering New York City subway cars with any words or symbols is verboten — unless you're paying to do it. New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is announcing plans to cover just about every surface in the subway system with advertising.

The most ambitious attempt will be digital video ads that play short videos that move across the walls of subway tunnels while the trains are moving through. In addition to the digital ads, there will be more train, pole and surface wrapping with ads as well as large video spots on the walls of busy stations.

Subway systems in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. already employ the tunnel ads, but New York City's system poses some challenges. From The New York Times:

Because the New York subway runs 24 hours a day, it is difficult to put ads on the far side of subway tracks. Consequently, CBS is considering projecting images across the track. They will be similar to ads that are projected onto station walls, which CBS began about two years ago.
There is a projection ad for Asics in Union Square, in the passageway between the N, Q, R and W lines and the Lexington Avenue line, and one for the Navy at Grand Central, in the corridor to the shuttle.

The MTA is hoping that all the extra revenue will offset expenses and prevent another fare hike. Though surely they will find a way to overspend their new influx of cash again this time.

Photo: NYT