DART investigating ad contract problems

[RobertB]

From the DART site:
http://www.dart.org/news.asp?ID=601

Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons

September 13, 2004

DART investigating advertising contract irregularities

Based on discovery by DART of irregularities in the management and performance of its contract with Dallas advertising firm, McGill Associates, DART is conducting an internal investigation in coordination with the Dallas County District Attorney's Public Integrity Division. Former DART Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Advertising, Micah Causey, resigned in July after questions arose about his management of this contract.

"DART is committed to providing the District Attorney's Office a full and complete investigation of this matter," DART Board Chairman Huelon Harrison said.

DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas said, "As good stewards of public funds, we are taking aggressive action to ensure this matter is addressed in the most appropriate way and that oversight procedures are sufficient to prevent a recurrence."

[freewaytincan]

As long as they don't put advertising on the outside of the trains.

[RobertB]

As long as they don't put advertising on the outside of the trains.
An admirable sentiment. I think the trains give the city a "signature" look. They were even featured on the TV movie "Asteroid" along with the building-with-a-hole. The train took a direct hit, and the keyhole building was last seen sliding into a giant crater. But I digress.

Ads on the trains would suck. But what if you put ads on the trains, got $27 million for it, and were then able to build the Love Field Tunnel? That's the sort of question that DART has to ask itself when these things come up. That's why they pay 'em the big bucks. :)

[freewaytincan]

Advertising inside the trains needs to increase. It's very bare and sterile in there.

Heh, Asteroid. What a horrendously bad mistake.

[drumguy8800]

They were even featured on the TV movie "Asteroid" along with the building-with-a-hole. The train took a direct hit, and the keyhole building was last seen sliding into a giant crater. But I digress.

A movie set in Dallas? holy crap! i wanna see!

and just for clarification, its JP Morgan Chase Tower. (the key-hole building.)

[RobertB]

A movie set in Dallas? holy crap! i wanna see!

and just for clarification, its JP Morgan Chase Tower. (the key-hole building.)
Just a warning: UL is right. The movie (actually, a two-part made-for-TV ripoff of "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact") really stinks. The only good thing about it is seeing the DART trains (before they become DART targets).

The Chase Tower sliding-into-the-crater scene is particularly laughable... the filmmakers clearly got their engineering degrees from the back of a box of Legos. The entire bottom half of the building is gone, but the top is completely intact, on its side, sliding down the wall of the crater. OTOH, maybe it's more obvious how buildings behave when they lose their support structure now that we've seen it happen (while wishing we hadn't) in NYC.

[Man of Leisure]

Advertising inside the trains needs to increase. It's very bare and sterile in there.
I agree -- they need something in there....and it might as well be advertising (as much as I have a disdain for manufactured demand). Probably a really simple question, but does anyone know exactly why DART declined to make additional funds by not having corporate adertisements? Aesthetics?

[drumguy8800]

The ad square things behind the benches at the LRT stations in south dallas are normally empty.. and I think I remember a few at Mockingbird being empty. The rest I don't know about. Maybe there just isn't enough profit to be made in such a venture.

I remember reading on the boards about the Japanese tunnel 'moving' ads, so when you stare out the window, its like a flipbook. That would be interesting!!

One station that really needs some ads is Cityplace. Cityplace is extremely sterile.. and bland.. and an overwhelming ad presence would make it interesting. Sitting there, you see an ad for a movie.. and you start talking about it. It would keep me from spouting out random DART facts every time I ride the train with friends and/or family members. I think they just might tire of it.

But, really.. an overwhelming ad presence doesn't provide a sense of desperation (at least, not to me..) but rather, a sense that this place is so heavily trafficked that corporations begged the transportation agency to let them stick up ads. I especially like the ads in Europe that scroll. Gatwick and Heathrow Airports even have all of their walkways in between the gates and the planes covered in (hks..?) ads.. really, everything is swamped with ads. you can't escape them. and its much more pleasant to be bombarded with ads than to be bombarded with a cold, faceless urban structure.

so, bring 'em on!

[bloodandpopcorn]

They could fill up all of the curved sides on the top of the rail cars with ads, like is the case in most major cities' public transportation systems. Some ads could even hang a few inches down from the ceiling so that they would be visible looking down the isle.

I wholly agree that more internal advertising should be utalized.

[snooch]

I think the issue of the lack of advertising in and around DART railcars might be part of the reason why their current agency is being investigated. A lot of times, it's the agency that advises them as to how to fill that space (and helps them sell it to marketers). So far the ad space related to DART has been poorly sold, because it's not like there isn't an audience (in fact, it's a pretty good-sized audience). So there's a great opportunity for DART to make revenue and it's not being pursued as aggressively as it should be.

Of course, I have no idea what goes on behind those closed doors. It could always be some political stupidity that has kept all that space empty. You never know with advertising. All I know is that when I used to ride the DART, I would stand on the Mockingbird Station platform and see people just staring off into space. Scrolling ads (or even video ads) would definitely have a captive audience. DART could make some moolah off of this to help build more routes (or at least cover some maintenance costs of existing lines). It's all a matter of selling it to ad buyers.

Another part of why their agency is being investigated might have to do with how DART itself is marketed to the city's residents. There really is no brand to DART other than the signature yellow cars. It'd be cool to see DART really roll out a neat full-fledged campaign all over the city promoting more ridership. I work with a typical Plano-ite who used to drive his big SUV to work every day and ended up switching to the DART. He can't stop raving about how stress-free his commute is in the morning. There's definitely an opportunity to change people's perceptions.

Sorry. I'll shut up now.

[tamtagon]

I think the issue of the lack of advertising in and around DART railcars might be part of the reason why their current agency is being investigated. A lot of times, it's the agency that advises them as to how to fill that space (and helps them sell it to marketers).

It should be a consistent source of revenue. Outside the regular riders without reliable personal transportation, downtown retail/restaurants/entertainment should be advertising to suburban commuters, and DART has big possibilities with West Village and Victory.

[drumguy8800]

Another part of why their agency is being investigated might have to do with how DART itself is marketed to the city's residents. There really is no brand to DART other than the signature yellow cars. It'd be cool to see DART really roll out a neat full-fledged campaign all over the city promoting more ridership.


They did.. and are. http://www.bigyellowdeal.com

Billboards everywhere.

[RobertB]

Another part of why their agency is being investigated might have to do with how DART itself is marketed to the city's residents. There really is no brand to DART other than the signature yellow cars. It'd be cool to see DART really roll out a neat full-fledged campaign all over the city promoting more ridership.
As I recall, the last time DART tried to create a cool, new identity, they came up with the famous billboard line:

Don't Drive Yourself, Crazy

It was perfect, but somebody got upset about it and DART claimed the comma was a mistake, and later pulled the billboard off Central.

IMHO, if DART wants to build an "identity", they need to quit being mamby-pamby about it and go after the SUV crowd head-on. Go ahead, make it Us vs. Them! You're saving the damned planet when you ride DART, for crying out loud. And when I drive in from the sticks, I'm embarassed to admit, I'm driving a stake in the earth's heart. If Bob Dole can go on TV and make me feel bad for not being "man" enough (http://psa-rising.com/upfront/dole030199.htm), DART can go on TV and make me feel bad for destroying the environment (http://www.changingtheclimate.com/).

Harsh? Remember, "there's no such thing as 'bad' publicity."

[snooch]

As I recall, the last time DART tried to create a cool, new identity, they came up with the famous billboard line:

Don't Drive Yourself, Crazy

It was perfect, but somebody got upset about it and DART claimed the comma was a mistake, and later pulled the billboard off Central.


Somebody always gets upset. Besides, people on Texas highways are crazy.