art not ads

I took a trip into London on the Tube a couple of days ago, and surfaced at Tottenham Court Road. I haven’t been there for a while, so I hadn’t seen the flat-screen TVs that line the escalators. There must be 30 of them, each side. So that’s something like 60 screens projecting animated adverts to the people who are chugging their way up the escalators. The ads change of course, so by the time you’ve reached the top, each screen may have displayed several ads. It’s a long escalator so most people stand rather than walk. I didn’t notice, but I’d be surprised if the ads aren’t timed so that the screens update as you roll past them, to make sure you get optimal exposure to brand names, slogans, and the like.

And of course, Tottenham Court Road isn’t the only place that does this. Waterloo and Liverpool Street stations both have enormous plasma screens, each one several metres across, replete with loudspeakers, projecting advertising and corporate news to the waiting masses.

This all begs the simple question, who gave permission to do this? I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that the London Underground is controlled by the Mayor, and the Mayor represents the people of the city. Have the people of London been clamouring for televisual advertising to brighten their journeys? London Underground wishes to improve its service but it’s not clear whether the people of London were consulted about the options available. It seems that an increasing amount of intrusive advertising is the only solution that has been considered.

If anyone can clear up how this has happened, or if you have any opinions on the subject, I’d love to hear them. Email ANA at . I’ll have to contact the Mayor’s office and the London Underground to get the low-down. Feel free to join in!

PS. If you’re not familiar with “Television, Drug of the Nation ” by the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, check it out, you may like it.