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I was with some friends travelling to central London recently, and we exited the tube system at Tottenham Court Road station. This station is currently undergo

by efaref 11y ago

I was with some friends travelling to central London recently, and we exited the tube system at Tottenham Court Road station. This station is currently undergoing refurbishment as part of the new Crossrail extension, and you now leave through a recently constructed exit. On the way up the escalators, we all commented to each other how the station felt considerably different to other tube stations. It felt better, nicer, more pleasant. This was strange, as the fit and finish is no different to other new tube stations. Eventually one of my friends realised the difference: there was no advertising. I think we underestimate the mental load that advertising clutter causes us, even when it's merely in the background. We're so used to it that it's not until it's gone that we realise how burdensome it actually is.

corin_ 11y ago
I actually quite like adverts in the underground... in London I always look at the posters when on an escalator to see if any shows (musicals/plays) look interesting, and I still enjoy looking at adverts on the Paris metro now I live here, again mostly for shows/art exhibitions/music (but also partly to absorbe French culture). I work in marketing / previously worked in more direct advertising, yet most of the time find adverts annoying. But not on the underground.
- chrismbarr 11y ago
  It probably depends on the types of ads (and each person's personal preferences). For me, I'm like you in that I'd much prefer to see ads of musicals/plays and other local goings-on in my own hometown or as tourist somewhere instead of ads for toothpaste, cars, apps, etc.
- mattkevan 11y ago
  Agreed. Tube ads are the only ones I'm happy to view as they're mostly for museums, galleries or theatres. Otherwise I actively avoid advertising wherever possible – I haven't watched broadcast TV or commercial radio in years and block all the things online. Interestingly, the other day I was on the tube and every single ad was for web-based services. No physical products or pre-Internet companies at all.
- bsg75 11y ago
  > I actually quite like adverts in the underground... Perhaps because they are passive - you choose to view or not simply by looking at them or elsewhere. Digital media is often a different mechanism - actively choosing to interrupt what you are reading or doing. Which causes the user behavior the publishers are struggling so hard to avoid - abandonment.
jbob2000 11y ago
It was great visiting Cuba for exactly this reason. That's a country entirely untouched by American-style capitalism; namely putting a brand and label on any empty space. Their cities and highways have life to them, such a beautiful country! It's a damn shame the embargo is ending, multinationals are going to destroy the place.
- mattkevan 11y ago
  I went to the US for the first time a few weeks ago, and even coming from the UK I was surprised by the pervasiveness and deep saturation of advertising. OK, Times Square is a special case, but it didn't seem to get much better elsewhere. Pretty much everything that could be held still for more than five minutes seemed to be sponsored, co-branded or had an advert stuck on it. I was surprised the pigeons didn't have little logos stuck on their wings. I just could not get my head around the TV ads for medicines. They were some of the most bizarre things I've ever seen, beyond parody. One advert had an elderly couple laughing, drinking wine and standing around on boats, while a voiceover quickly listed all the terrible side effects of taking it. For about three minutes.

by efaref 11y ago

corin_ 11y ago

I actually quite like adverts in the underground... in London I always look at the posters when on an escalator to see if any shows (musicals/plays) look interesting, and I still enjoy looking at adverts on the Paris metro now I live here, again mostly for shows/art exhibitions/music (but also partly to absorbe French culture). I work in marketing / previously worked in more direct advertising, yet most of the time find adverts annoying. But not on the underground.

chrismbarr 11y ago
It probably depends on the types of ads (and each person's personal preferences). For me, I'm like you in that I'd much prefer to see ads of musicals/plays and other local goings-on in my own hometown or as tourist somewhere instead of ads for toothpaste, cars, apps, etc.
mattkevan 11y ago
Agreed. Tube ads are the only ones I'm happy to view as they're mostly for museums, galleries or theatres. Otherwise I actively avoid advertising wherever possible – I haven't watched broadcast TV or commercial radio in years and block all the things online. Interestingly, the other day I was on the tube and every single ad was for web-based services. No physical products or pre-Internet companies at all.
bsg75 11y ago
> I actually quite like adverts in the underground... Perhaps because they are passive - you choose to view or not simply by looking at them or elsewhere. Digital media is often a different mechanism - actively choosing to interrupt what you are reading or doing. Which causes the user behavior the publishers are struggling so hard to avoid - abandonment.

jbob2000 11y ago

It was great visiting Cuba for exactly this reason. That's a country entirely untouched by American-style capitalism; namely putting a brand and label on any empty space. Their cities and highways have life to them, such a beautiful country! It's a damn shame the embargo is ending, multinationals are going to destroy the place.

mattkevan 11y ago
I went to the US for the first time a few weeks ago, and even coming from the UK I was surprised by the pervasiveness and deep saturation of advertising. OK, Times Square is a special case, but it didn't seem to get much better elsewhere. Pretty much everything that could be held still for more than five minutes seemed to be sponsored, co-branded or had an advert stuck on it. I was surprised the pigeons didn't have little logos stuck on their wings. I just could not get my head around the TV ads for medicines. They were some of the most bizarre things I've ever seen, beyond parody. One advert had an elderly couple laughing, drinking wine and standing around on boats, while a voiceover quickly listed all the terrible side effects of taking it. For about three minutes.