MTA commits to “novel” advertising

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), seeking to maximize revenue, has announced that it will employ “novel” forms of advertising on New York City Transit and the Long Island Rail Road.

Beginning this week, the inside and outside of a train serving the 42nd Street Shuttle in Midtown Manhattan (the S train) will befully wrapped with advertisements promoting TBS’ exclusive coverage of Major League Baseball’s 2010 postseason division series and league championship series. MTA acknowledges that subway car wraps have become increasingly popular with advertisers, but notes this campaign will be the first to make use of moving images through video screens.

The screens, inside the subway cars, will show replays ofthe previous night’s baseball highlights during the postseason, highlights which almost certainly will include games involving the hometown New York Yankees for at least the initial division series.

And for what MTA believes is the first time since railroading began in the New York City region in the 1830s, the exteriors of its regional trains will display advertising. Specifically, 50 of the Long Island Rail Road’s 836 M-7 train cars will display ads that begin at the level of the doors’ floors and extend up to the bottom of the cars’ windows. These cars will travel through the most heavily used portions of the Long Island Rail Road. Theads, promoting Cablevision’s Optimum WiFi, will be visible to customers boarding the trains on platforms as well as passing motorists and pedestrians.

If the three-month trial of LIRR exterior advertising is successful, the MTA and LIRR will consider extending the program to more LIRR cars with the help of advertising contractor CBS Outdoor.

“The MTA earns more than $100 million per year from sales of advertising space, mostly through traditional print media, but this traditional advertising has suffered as a result of the recession,” said MTA Chairman Jay Walder. “Our uncertain finances mean that we have to think creatively to maximize the value of our physical assets. One way we are doing that is by creating more dynamic advertising opportunities.”