Billboards promoting the TTC have appeared across Toronto over the last few weeks. These ads are exceptionally simple for outdoor copy: the simple black background, the TTC logo front and centre, make these advertisements more attractive than the typical outdoor display.
But, unfortunately, I miss the point of these billboards, which have appeared before. Unlike most ad copy (with the notable exception of “teaser” ads), there’s no “reason why” to the ad. It does not promote any of the TTC’s inherent good qualities (environmental, economic or convenience) or represent any clever marketing campaign. All it indicates is that there is a website and a phone number if you were interested in learning more, if you actually recognized the logo (which to be fair, most of the ad’s audience would recognize). Yet the words “the better way” merely allude to what the advertised product is.
Growing up in the 1980s, I remember decent TV commercials promoting the TTC, and clever Burma-Shave-esque ads over the Allen Road almost taunting the drivers waiting to clear the lights at Eglinton Avenue.
Today, the ads over the Allen Road have the same pointless directions to the web, the phone, or the Yellow Pages, giving up the golden opportunity to market the ever-moving subway to the captive audience stuck in traffic. Indeed, the mere inclusion of the website and the phone number in these ads remind me of the pointless PR announcements in the subway telling riders to go look in the Yellow Pages or call the central line or (presumably go home and) visit the website if you wanted TTC maps and information. Meanwhile the collectors in the subway, where the ads are played, have all the maps and info one would need.
But what leaves me even more nonplussed are some of the locations of these billboards. I have seen several outside the City of Toronto, but the one above was spotted in Downtown Georgetown, where the only nearby transit is the GO bus and train, and is over 35 kilometres from the nearest TTC bus route, the 58A Malton, at Airport Road and Derry Road in Mississauga.
Yes, as I failed to mention in the original post, the TTC gets the space for free through an agreement with CBS Outdoor, so there’s no direct “buy” cost. But this is still a shame, because the marketing budget or its ad agreements could be used in better ways than the use of billboard space for these pointless advertisements in sometimes strange locations.
20 comments
Agreed, they are a completely wasted opportunity. I saw one on Dundas St. W., and my first thoughts were a) who uses the phone for information these days? and b) the website address should be obvious to anyone who would think to use the web for information in the first place.
Along the same lines, I wish the TTC would focus their in-station/vehicle notices on something valuable, like improving riders’ basic transit literacy,like “Read the route and destination at the front of the vehicle. For example, the 502 only goes as far as McCaul, so you shouldn’t get on at University and act surprised two stops later.” and “this is what a short turn is, this is why we do it so please don’t hate us”, instead of those silly “this is how you ride an escalator” nanny-state notices.
I’ve asked Brad Ross about these in the past, and his response was that the TTC owns those billboards, and leases them to advertisers. So I suppose it’s not costing them a thing to put these ads up. True, a missed opportunity though.
Would it have killed you to do a little research though? Ask them a single question? I think we have enough inflammatory posts about the TTC nowadays.
Adam: The TTC do not own these billboards. They are the property of CBS Outdoor, Pattison, etc. I strongly doubt the TTC would own billboards in Misssissauga or Georgetown.
You strongly doubt – did you ask the TTC? Where’s the CBC/Pattison branding on the billboard shown in your lead photo?
They do not “own” the billboards, but they do have an agreement with CBS that allows them to host ads for their service at zero cost.
http://torontoadscapes.com/2010/04/13/new-ttc-ads/
The wonders of google search.
“Giambrone had explained earlier, though, that the billboards’ locations are entirely at CBS Outdoor’s discretion, and are “unsold space,” meaning that the TTC’s billboard ads are filling billboards that would otherwise be empty.”
Instead of “strongly doubting” something, do a little more research before commenting. Spacing is generally know for that sorta thing. Blindly running something without a cursory phone call or search? Sounds like any old rinky-dink blog to my ears.
It may be some sort of swap wherein the advertising company gives the TTC space on empty billboards in exchange for the concession to run ads on the TTC-owned spaces. Pure speculation, however.
A bit of context: http://torontoist.com/2010/04/ttc_advertises_itself.php
“the ads are part of the TTC’s existing advertising contract with CBS Outdoor. CBS Outdoor….according to outgoing TTC Chair Adam Giambrone, ‘there is no cost to TTC,’ since ‘production and media cost is covered by CBS.’
….Giambrone had explained earlier, though, that the billboards’ locations are entirely at CBS Outdoor’s discretion, and are ‘unsold space,’ meaning that the TTC’s billboard ads are filling billboards that would otherwise be empty. Next time you see one, don’t wonder what it’s costing you—wonder what other ad you don’t have to see instead. “
My goodness. I’m not crying out about any wastes of money – it would make no sense that the TTC would pay for these pointless billboards besides the design and production costs – but my point stands is that these signs are silly, pointless, and in strange locations far from the TTC service area.
BTW, I’ve updated the thread slightly to make up for my mistake not mentioning the agreement with CBS.
Jeremy, lots of people still use the phone for information these days. Most of them are older, or don’t have a computer at home.
CBS Outdoor has the contract to sell advertising on the
TTC, and as a bonus they also put TTC ads on unwanted billboard space
that they haven’t sold and which would otherwise be blank.
For the TTC, it’s a matter of “sure, why not.”
No doubt the TTC trumpets the amount of free advertising from CBS and gives it a dollar value as if it paid for it? Because TTC advertising (of this sort) in Georgetown might be free but it is also almost worthless. Now, if it was a poster telling 905ers why their taxes going into Toronto transit is good for Georgetowners, maybe there might be something in it.
@Mark, with its proximity to the GO station, it may remind – or at least get commuters to think about – taking transit at Union rather than taking a cab or walking. While it is true that the TTC loses money on each ride on average, those who take the subway from Union up one or two stops are probably some of their more profitable customers.
Once we start to see some of these ads in Timmins though…
People in Georgetown are going to go to Toronto. They might as well take the TTC from a GO station or subway station if possible.
The poor design of these ads is reflective of the TTC’s generally poor performance in any non-operational matter like marketing, cleanliness, design of signage, maintenance of public areas, and implementation of technology for user-friendliness. It is such a well-used service in a city with a lot of creative talent, so this state of affairs is unacceptable. It makes this city seem poor and provincial. It’s not a good image to have.
A.R. is right on. These are a lost opportunity but hardly any different than any other performance that the TTC manages to blow in almost any regard other than keeping ancient buses running, operating a simple subway system or crafting streetcar tracks (have to admit that they are pretty good at those three core activities). The graphics are poorly laid out and, as Sean points out, say nothing at all. These could be fun history displays, or upbeat images, or slogans touting the benefits of transit, or economic messages about costs and funding… but no, just black with a tiny logo. Meh.
Some examples of more interesting transit-related ads:
http://bit.ly/hTtjlu
http://bit.ly/hikU36
http://bit.ly/dLKbkU
http://bit.ly/eSzIp1
http://bit.ly/fAm2yA
http://bit.ly/i8bSBE
http://bit.ly/dIGnLC
http://bit.ly/hKcbaX
http://bit.ly/fsQnB9
http://bit.ly/fnnwkA
Many of the above I pulled from the blog “Pushing Buses”, a product of a Toronto-based transit ad agency. (http://pushingbuses.blogspot.com/)
These billboards have been up in various points in Toronto since the middle of last year. I first saw them in the Millwood/DVP area. Such a freakin’ waste.
I thought these ads, while crappy in quality, served as multiple purpose. The most obvious purpose, as everyone pointed out, is to remind people about where to get information.
I think these ads could also be serving as an employee recruitment drive, especially if you consider the out-of-town billboards. This belief comes from the fact that a number of employees live outside of Toronto, beyond in far-away lands of Oshawa and Milton. They may pass the same sign every day from a crappy commute, and decide to put a job application in.
In the late 80s/early 90s, the TTC had the advertising strategy where they hung a series of signs above bridges on the Allen Expressway (not sure if they still do). As a kid from the suburbs who had to come in to Toronto frequently, I thought that strategy was the coolest thing I had ever seen, and I would sit in the backseat with my brother, watching for and screaming out the messages on the bridges as we drove passed. I couldn’t wait to grow up, live in the city, and take the subway.
I eventually grew up, lived in city, and took the subway. I’ll always be a defender of the TTC, but I still miss the days when it could inspire that kind of awe and excitement.
There’s been one next to the LCBO near Dupont and Davenport on and off since early last year.
I tried to post something with a half-dozen links to other transit ads, but it died in the spam filter. Instead, I’ll just steer people to this interesting blog run by a Toronto-based ad agency. Some pretty great images here of pro-transit campaigns by other agencies more creative than the TTC (scroll down the page to see them all):
http://pushingbuses.blogspot.com/
Your post with the many links was saved, iSkyscraper. Those were some great ads.