Next Stop: York Marketing Station?

Last Wednesday, the Toronto Transit Commission approved a 12-year deal with Pattison Outdoor Advertising. The $324 million contract includes print ads inside transit vehicles, vehicle wraps, in-station advertising, and the possibility the sale of naming rights of subway stations. TTC chair Karen Stintz says that the deal would bring much needed cash to the transit system, which could be used to renovate the stations, and that the stations would not be renamed entirely to maintain the association with their locations.

I’ll have to admit, cleaner and upgraded stations do sound convincing (hopefully complete with the installation of air conditioning please!). The deal also opens up many exciting possibilities for creative campaigns and advertisements, such as Volkswagen’s piano steps, IKEA’s display in Paris, 2012’s flooding stations, and Mad Men trains, just to name a few.

As for the down side? I personally disapprove of the TTC selling out, especially for a mere $27 million a year ($324 million ÷ 12 years). Given that the TTC carries approximately 460 million customers per year, I’d think that their reach is more than that. Also, how ridiculous would it be to have stations named “Burger King Station”, “Dairy Queen Station”, or “The Bay Station”? I’m not certain whether renaming stations would bring value to brands, and if anything, those who strongly oppose would have negative feelings towards the brand. On top of that, it would be impractical to change maps, signage, and even automated announcements every time sponsorship changes.

What are your thoughts on this sponsorship?

VW's piano steps:

IKEA's display:

2012's flooding station:

Mad Men trains:

If you want to know of more creative use of handles, click here.

About the writer: Katherine Chung

Curious epicure of baked goods with a love for all things well-designed. Fancies shopping, gardening, and spending time with family. Eager to meet interesting people and dive into interesting ideas.