photo via Mashable
Nobody seems to like that Microsoft’s ad guys took over the Times Square/Grand Central shuttle and made the cars mobile advertisements for their new Tablet, complete with video screens that play their ads on endless loop. But for some reason—like maybe that the Times Square/Grand Central Shuttle is a total drag of a subway line that manages to pack a lot of bummer into just one stop—this delights me. Of course, the fact that the shuttle’s only a 45-second ride is also what makes this seem OK—any longer than that, and a person could start feeling very Trapped at the Barbie Factory—as is the fact that it’s temporary.
Also, I like a well-executed bit of big dramatic marketing (see here) just as long as it’s ephemeral and not too disruptive.
It can also be innovative and really fun—check out this spot set in an Antwerp train station where commuters approach a Coke Zero machine that challenges them in a in a race against the clock to win tickets for Skyfall. And I think this Korean Coke machine/dance-off-bot is pretty amusing too. On the other hand, I curse the day Taxi TV was invented. We all have our limits. What are yours?
Here is my limit: I can’t even get my head around the fact that these sites like Facebook are now using our private info for their own marketing and then Instagram thinks they own our photos?
I know, tech stuff, blah, but sort of unbelievable.
Whoa — that duck is actually a total rip-off of a public art project (by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman) from five years ago.
My limit is, I don’t like random moving pictures. If people want to put random video everywhere, they need to understand that I will ignore it and/or not use their transit anymore. There are often ways around it on websites, at least until the sites figure out we’re doing it.
So, not to be slow, but … was the pink shuttle part of the MS promotion? I like the pink too! I would almost think better of the company for it.
Ditto Cynthia. The other thing is, trying to understand what these companies are doing is quite difficult, even when they try to explain it. I’m not sure if they do that on purpose (cynical me), if they only hire engineers who can’t communicate, or if they themselves have no clear idea of what they’re doing and therefore, can’t explain it. Google’s explanation in the summer of their cross-platform whatever the bleep it was, I’m sorry to say, wasn’t any better. And I am a huge loyal Google person.
I forgot to say — I looooove the ducky picture!!! Thanks for posting it. I think it needs a world tour.
oh dear corporate marketing run amok, love the london bridge ducky, am a NYC girl, but, london is a close second,D
Omigod, I HATE the Taxi TV thing.
I don’t mind the pink Shuttle, I kind of like it, especially the turquoise car. The one that pushed me over the edge was when one of the cruise lines took it over and had people dressed up as hula girls, surfer dudes, and cruise attendants badgering commuters to go on a cruise. Seriously, I came really damn close to punching someone that morning. Not cool, not cool at all.
The ads they had on digital screens in the LA subway tunnels, and the digital billboards. As much as I love Bladerunner, just …no.
The TaxiTv thing startled me. I avoid taxis now due to it. Sort of a fail there. If they brought back checkered cabs for any reason, marketing or otherwise – I would be onboard big time.